Orphaned
by KousukeAsazuki
Summary: Ed and Al are adopted by Roy, an employee of the Underground, a secret service of alchemists. Fired and targeted for harboring a Renegade alchemist, Roy turns to a mysterious stranger who promises his job back. Full summary inside, slight RoyEd, AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hello, there! Thought I'd break away from spiral for a little bit and venture over here to fma land. Umm, let's see...this is my second fma fic, and the last one was just a fun little oneshot. So, I guess this is my first real fic for Fullmetal; hope you like it! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fullmetal or any of it's characters. I do, however, own this slightly warped plot line, as far as I know.

Rating: T for most violence and a little action.

Pairings: RoyEd as of now, and slight EdAl, I guess (no lemons with these two, just brotherly love, don't worry!). Other pairings may develop as the story progresses, I'm not sure.

Warnings: Let's see...no warnings for this chappy! I'll post the warnings in chapters that they apply to so you know what to expect.

Full summary: Ed and Al are left orphaned and are adopted by Roy, an employee of the Underground, a secret service of alchemists. Fired and targeted for harboring a Renegade alchemist, Ed, Roy turns to a mysterious stranger who promises his job back. What are this stranger's true intentions? And why are the higher ups in the Underground so fixated on Ed? (also slight romance)

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A boy of about 8, with golden hair, hugged his brother closely. Tears were threatening to stream down his face, but he refused to let them fall. He needed to be strong, if not for himself, then for his younger brother, "Don't worry, Al." he whispered, "It'll be okay."

Al looked up to his brother, tears actually falling from his eyes, making it harder for the older one to keep his back, "How can you say that, brother? They're both gone now, where will we live?"

Ed shook his head, "I don't know." he confessed, his voice cracking, "I don't know, but we'll find somewhere." He stared at the ashes of their house, thinking about how everything had turned so wrong. Their father had passed away many years ago from a heart attack, but they still had their mother. It was hard at first, especially on the older woman, but they eventually learned to move on and start to live their normal lives again. Everything had been going great for a few years, and the three really couldn't have been happier giving everything that had happened.

They weren't a wealthy family, but they got by, and they were content with what they had. Everything was perfect...Until, that is, Ed and Al left that morning. If they had known was about to happen, they would have stayed. If they had, maybe things would be different, maybe their mother would be standing there with them, maybe their house would even still be standing. They had gone though, just for a little walk through the woods like they always did. It had been Ed's suggestion, of course, and he had raced Al to the lake by their house. When the older one had turned to rub it in his brother's face that he had won yet again, that's when he saw it.

Flashback

Ed turned, "See, Al, I told you I'd win." he grinned, puffing his chest out.

"It's not my fault." Al objected, "Your legs are longer."

Ed opened his eyes, "Al, making excuses won't..." he trailed off as he stared at something over the hill that led to the lake.

"Making excuses won't what, brother?" Al asked, looking to Ed to see why he had stopped talking. When he saw the horrified look on his brother's face, Al turned to see what he was so fixated on. Seeing the sight, Al gasped, "Isn't that..."

"Our house." Ed thought. Smoke was rising from the general location of their home, "Mom." Ed whispered, and took off with Al close behind. Once they reached the now destroyed house, Ed froze in his tracks. His gaze swept all around the burning building, searching for any signs of life, "Mom?" Ed asked, quietly, "Mom!" he shouted louder. He heard Al crying beside him, "No, she can't be..." he began, unable to believe what was happening, "It's all a dream." he thought, "This can't be happening." He shut his eyes to the flames and tried to block them out, tried to make them disappear. Opening his golden eyes, which so closely matched his hair, he saw that it wasn't just a dream, and that their house was burning down; their mother inside.

Tears continued to stream down Al's face, "Brother?" he asked, begging the older one to tell him that what he was seeing wasn't real. When Ed didn't respond, his gaze glued to the flames, Al began sobbing again.

End Flashback

That had been nearly three hours ago, and the flames were dying out now. Ed hadn't moved much, and Al hadn't stopped crying. Though, the tears were starting to slow, and Ed was blinking, slowly absorbing everything that was happening. The younger brother sniffed back his tears, and looked up at Ed once more, "Brother?"

Hearing Al's voice calling his name finally tore Ed's gaze away from their smoldering house, "What is it, Al?" he asked, trying to sound like everything was alright, even though they both knew that was far from reality.

"We need to tell someone." Al replied, trying to think things through.

Ed sighed, "I know, Al, but once we do, everything's going to get so crazy."

Al looked up to the older one, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we'll have the funeral, and once someone finds out we have nowhere to live, we'll either get sent to a relative, or some foster home."

"Foster home?" Al asked, not liking the sound of that.

Ed nodded, and finally turned to leave, "Come on, Al, we should go." He saw his brother hesitate, and grabbed his hand, "Don't worry, even if we do get sent somewhere, there's no way I'll let them split us up." That seemed to satisfy Al, as he followed behind, squeezing Ed's hand, "You're all I have now, and I won't lose you, too."

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I know this is kind of a short first chappy, but most of mine are. I'll update soon, though, so review! Oh, and it'll get better for them, don't worry! 


	2. Chapter 2

I figured since this fic is relatively new, I should attempt to update it so you all don't lose interest. I'll start slacking off once I get you hooked. _If_ I get you hooked that is... heh. Enjoy!

BlackFire-Dog: Glad you like it, thanks for reviewing!

Qtip: Heh, as you wish! Glad you like it so much, and thanks for reviewing!

freya kurenai: Who doesn't love royed? I figured brotherly love was an appropriate term for it, I guess you can be the judge of that, though, whenever I get around to it...Thanks for reviewing!

A/N: I know I said this fic's rating would be raised later, but I don't think it will be now. I'm going to post it on the adultfanfiction site as well, so all lemon related things will be there. I'll let you know what chapters will have lemons in them when I get to it, but as of now, this fic will stay at a T rating. That's all!

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It had been three years since that dreadful day, and Ed still had nighmares of it. He could only imagine they would last the rest of his life; how did you get over something like that? In fact, he had just woken up from one, panting in his small bed, trying to rid himself of the sights that were permanently etched into his memory. He stared out the small window, the only window in the entire room, which moonlight was pouring in, illuminating the shabby room. The only furniture were two beds, one each for Al and him, a desk with a mirror and a chair, and a small bookcase. The last piece of furniture had taken two years of constant bugging to be finally bought by the owners of the orphanage that he and Al had ended up in, and only held a few books that Ed had managed to acquire through some miracle.

"Brother?"

The younger brother's voice filled the empty room, startling Ed. He turned his head to look at Al, who was only a few feet from him; the room was far from spacious, "Yeah, Al?" he asked, his voice cracking from sleepiness.

"Another nightmare?" came the question, as if it weren't obvious enough already. The real question was whether Ed was alright or not, but Al knew his brother's pride would answer that question for him.

"Yeah." Ed whispered, looking back out the moonlit window, "It was three years ago, and I can still remember everything about that day." he sighed, and closed his eyes, "Goodnight, Al." he said, not wanting to get depressed for no reason again.

"Brother?" Al asked once more, knowing that Ed desperately needed someone to talk to about what had happened. He didn't know why the older one wouldn't talk to him, but maybe he just needed convinving.

"I said goodnight, Al." Ed repeated. He knew what Al was going to ask him, if he wanted to talk. He would say that it might help to talk about it, and that there was no shame in being afraid or crying once in a while. He also knew that he didn't want to have that conversation, at least not with Al. While his brother was the only person he trusted enough to talk with, he was also the only person that he wouldn't allow himself to cry in front of. He knew that Al depended on him for many things, and he needed to stay strong for the younger one's sake.

"Goodnight." Al replied, closing his eyes. He didn't know why Ed wouldn't talk about it; it's not like he would think any less of him if he broke down crying. Al had cried in front of Ed many times, but he supposed Ed was just too proud to do that.

The next morning, Ed and Al were woken up very early, as usual, by one of the owners of the orphanage, "Goodmorning, sleepy heads!" Winry said, peeking her head into their room. She noticed both boys were still asleep, and frowned, "You two need to get up..." she began, then broke out in a smile, "Or else you'll miss breakfast!"

Al was the first to answer, turning his head to give Winry a sleepy smile, "Okay, Miss Winry, we'll be up in a minute."

Winry smiled, then looked to Ed, "And what about your lazy brother?" she asked, jokingly.

"I'm not lazy!" Ed's muffled reply came since his face was currently burried in the pillow.

"Brother, she didn't mean anything by it..."Al sighed, wondering how Ed could be so short with Winry; she was such a nice lady. Of course, Ed had no patience with anyone anymore. Even since the accident, he was completely untrusting of everyone, _"As if mom dying wasn't enough, why did that have to happen, too?"_ he wondered. Ed was such a nice person once you got to know him, but so many bad things had happened to him that he never let anyone get close to him. Well, no one except Al, but that was kind of a given.

"I don't care." Ed said, and threw the blankets over his head, "I'm not hungry." he decided.

Winry sighed, wondering what exactly had happened to the older brother to make him so much colder to everyone than the younger. As far as she knew, they had both suffered losing their parents and their home, but perhaps there was more to the story than she knew. Al smiled apologetically at her, "I'll try to get him up." he offered.

"Thanks, Al." Winry said, then left Al to do just that.

"Brother, why are you so cold to everyone?" Al asked, desperately wishing Ed would just talk to him.

"How can you even ask me that?" Ed yelled, throwing his pillow at the younger Elric.

Al dodged the pillow and frowned, "I know that bad things happened to you..." he began, but Ed cut him off.

"No, you don't!" he yelled, "You don't know because you weren't the one that was raped!" As soon as the words escaped his lips, he got very quiet, as if he had just realized that it had happened. He had been raped. Tears filled his eyes, but he still refused to cry. Retreating back under his covers, he turned away from Al.

The younger one knew better than to push any more, so he stood up, placing the thrown pillow back by Ed's head. Then, he walked out of the room, leaving Ed alone to sulk. Sighing, he closed the door, _"Brother, why won't you let me help you?"_ he wondered, not for the first time, and traveled downstairs where the kitchen and dining room were.

Heading to the long, wooden table that served as the place where all the oprhans ate, Al was stopped by Winry's voice, "Al?" she called.

He looked over to see the older girl standing next to an even older man. Walking over to them, Al surveyed the man, deciding he looked nice enough, and then looked to Winry, "Yes?" he asked, though he already knew who the man was, or at least why he was there.

"This is Jeff." she introduced the other man, who now smiled at Al.

"Hello." the youngest one said, politely. He knew that Jeff was there to adopt someone, and for some reason, he had picked Al out of the crowd.

"Hello, there," Jeff said, with a funny accent that Al barely recognized. He thought it sounded like he was from America; the southern accent that some had, "what's your name?"

"Al." said boy replied.

"Jeff asked if we had any brothers, and you two were the first that came to my mind." Winry explained.

Al nodded, that made sense, "I don't think Ed's coming down, he's...not feeling well." Al said, trying how to explain it to Winry without pushing Jeff away. Most likely he wouldn't want a kid with as obvious problems as Ed, but if Al buttered him up, maybe he'd be persuaded to take them; he wanted a home so badly.

Winry nodded, in understanding, and turned to Jeff, "Al is 10, and his brother, Ed, is 11."

"Only a year apart, that's perfect." the man said, a slighly evil glint that neither Winry nor Al noticed, "Do you think there's any chance I could see Ed?" he asked Al, eyeing him hungrily.

Al seemed oblivious to the stares, but shook his head, "I don't think Ed is..." he began, but was cut off once more by his brother, who had appeared next to him, "Ed, you're up!" Al said, happily.

Ed nodded, "Yeah, changed my mind about the food." he said, all but ignoring Jeff.

Winry, however, changed that quickly, "Ed, this is Jeff." she said, leaving the obvious to Ed.

"So?" he asked, eyeing Jeff up and down, not failing to notice the perverted look he was getting.

"Ed, try to be polite, Jeff may be adopting you." Winry told him, in a firm yet kind tone.

Ed shook his head, "Like hell he is." he told them, and turned, leaving no room for discussion.

Winry sighed, and smiled at Jeff, "I'm sorry, Ed's just a little untrusting. He's had a pretty rough past."

Jeff nodded, but was cursing inside; he couldn't use a kid that didn't trust him. Smiling, he patted Al on the head, "I don't suppose you have anyone else?"

After being informed that Ed and Al were the only younger brothers they had (Jeff had specifically asked for younger ones), Jeff left. Al joined Ed, who had grabbed some food and was eating, ignoring the glares he was getting from the younger one. Winry, however, didn't stay silent, "Edward, do you know how many possible adopters you've run off?" she asked. Not only was she stuck with a kid with a crappy attitude, it was bad for business. Sighing Winry shook her head and told herself that kind of thinking was wrong; Ed couldn't help it if he didn't trust people, especially older men.

"That guy was a creep, didn't you see the look he was giving Al and I?" he asked.

Winry sighed, "No, Ed, I didn't. I don't want to send you out into the world with someone you don't trust, though." she offered the two boys a smile, and walked off, _"I just don't know if there's anyone in this world you _will_ trust."_ she thought, sadly.

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Hmm, there could be... Poor Ed, he can't trust anyone. Poor Al, he wants a home and can't get one because poor Ed can't trust anyone. Those two are just in a bad situation...Well, it'll get better! Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this took so long to get updated, I shouldn't take this long again unless I have a good reason. My only excuse this time is I was stuck and didn't really know what to do with it (aka, writer's block). I don't like using excuses, though, so I'll just say sorry and enjoy!

BlackFire-Dog: Heh, thanks! Roy should be coming in next chappy, so you won't have too long to wait. Thanks for reviewing!

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After breakfast, Al informed Ed that he was going to try and get in the shower before everyone else. Ed just nodded a little, still staring at the empty plate of food before him. Winry saw that the older brother seemed to be spacing out, and walked over to him, "You still hungry, Ed?" she asked, reaching for his plate.

Before she could take it from him, Ed stood up, snatching the plate out of her grasp, "No." he replied, then proceeded to take the plate out to the kitchen, and throw it in the sink with a loud CLANG. Winry winced, and just smiled as Ed sulked past her. Before he could make it up the stairs, the front door opened to reveal an old lady. She smiled at Ed, and looked to Winry, "Hello, are you the caretaker here?"

Winry smiled, "Co-caretaker, but yes, I am. Can I help you?" she replied.

"I called earlier about adopting a child. My name is Pinako..."

WInry brightened, "Oh, of course, I remember you!" She remembered her quite well for one reason; she seemed like the kind of person Ed would get along with. She was soft-spoken, and she wouldn't hurt a fly. Winry glanced around and spotted Ed on the stairs, "Ed?" she called out, grabbing the young boy's attention.

He turned, and looked at Winry, "Yeah?" he asked, hoping the old lady didn't have her sights set on him.

"Could you come here for a moment?" she asked, and smiled as the older brother obeyed without any complaints or objections, "Ed, this is Pinako." she informed the blonde-haired boy, then turned to said lady, "This is Ed, the one we spoke about."

Pinako smiled at the taller boy, "Ah, so you're Edward." she said, extending her hand, "How are you?"

Ed just glared at the hand, "It's Ed, not Edward," he corrected her, "and I'm not in the talking mood."

Pinako frowned, and Winry sighed as the boy walked off, done with the conversation, "I'm sorry, Ed is a little withdrawn." she explained in apologetic tone. She had lost count of how many times she'd said that exact phrase or one just like it.

"It's alright." Pinako said, "Perhaps there was someone else?"

Winry nodded, "Of course, follow me." she turned to the living area where most of the younger children were, Pinako in tow.

Ed headed back up to his room, sighing as he surveyed all the other children. They all looked so...happy to be here; interacting with others their own age, making friends. Ed didn't understand it at all; how could they be so trusting of each other, wasn't there anyone else like him, who was so withdrawn, as Winry had put it? Then, he heard a very familar voice, "Hey, I was playing with that..." the voice objected.

Ed turned to see his brother, who had obviously not gotten to the bathroom in time for a shower, and another, older kid. They were fighting over a toy, which Ed thought was a little childish, but then again they were children. Well, it wasn't so much fighting as the older kid, who Ed recognized as a boy named Jimmy, simply took the toy Al had been playing with, and Al was now trying to convince Jimmy to give it back. Jimmy laughed, "Well, you're not playing with it anymore, are you?" he asked, grinning cruelly at the younger boy.

Al frowned, "Why can't you find another toy?" he asked. He didn't want to start any trouble, but he didn't want to be a complete push over, either. He saw what happened to people who let others walk all over them, and he didn't want to be one of those people.

"Because I want this one." Jimmy growled, "Now get out of here."

Not wanting any trouble, Al nodded, "Alright." he said, turning, "I can find another toy..."

"Hey." Ed spoke up, having joined the two, "If Al was playing with that, give it back to him."

Jimmy looked Ed up and down, "And why should I do that, shrimp?" Jimmy asked. He was only a year older than Ed, but almost a foot taller.

Ed's glare intensified, "Because, if you don't, I'll kick your ass." he informed the older boy.

"Brother, don't get in another fight." Al suggested, knowing that Ed wouldn't listen.

"Why do you have to be such a push over, Al?" Ed asked his younger brother, "You have to stand up for yourself."

"It's not that big of a deal..." Al started to object, but was cut off.

Throwing the forgotten toy aside, Jimmy approached Ed, "You'll kick my ass, will you?" he asked, mockingly, then laughed, "Not a chance."

Without any warning, Ed threw a punch to Jimmy's jaw line. The older one was much faster, though, and easily dodged the fist, grabbing Ed's wrist and pulling the smaller boy foward, bringing his knee up to collide with Ed's stomach. The younger one let out an 'omph' as he felt the air being knocked out of him, and sank to his knees. Hearing Jimmy's cocky laugh brought him back, and he shook his head and stood up, "I won't be that easy to take down." Ed challenged.

The laughing stopped, and the older one glared, "You've got a backbone, I'll give you that, but you've got nothing to back it up with." he informed Ed as he backhanded the younger one.

Ed growled as the force from the slap sent him to the ground. Winry picked that opportunity to see the two, "Jimmy, what are you doing?" she asked, horrified.

Said boy looked up, feigning fright, "Miss Winry! Ed started attacking me, I had to defend myself!" he lied.

Al looked to Winry, "Ed didn't even hit him!" he objected.

Ed stood up, brushing himself off, and glaring at Jimmy. Without a word, he ran past Winry, ignoring her questions of what happened. In his bedroom, he flopped down on the bed, burrying his face in the pillow. He forced the tears away, 'She'll believe Jimmy. Why shouldn't she, I threw the first punch.' he thought. He winced as he pressed his face into the pillow and rubbed the spot where he had been hit. There would most likely be a bruise there tomorrow, but he honestly didn't care. There was no one that he was trying to impress anyway, and maybe people would start to leave him alone if they thought he was trouble. That's all he wanted, people to leave him alone, 'No one understands, anyway.'

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Hopefully these chapters will be getting at least a little longer when the story picks up...Which will be soon because Mustang enters next chapter! The next chappy should be up quicker than this last one, too. I was a little stuck on it, and I personally don't like it, but the story will get better!


	4. Chapter 4

Your reviews have inspired me to update today! So...enjoy!

black-girl x: I put a note at the end of the last chapter; Roy is coming in this chapter. Glad you like it, and thanks for reviewing!

PsycoNeko15: Heh, sorry, I tend to leave cliffhangers at dangerous places. Like I said, hopefully my chapters will be getting a little longer...hopefully. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

BlackFire-Dog: I never really got that into Pinako, which is why I might not have written her quite right. I did kind of make her look like a little, old lady, though, didn't I? I agree with you, and if I put her in again somewhere, I'll make sure to fix that. As for the fight...I'm not really great at writing fight scenes, which would explain the suckiness of it. There probably won't be too much fighting in here, though it _is_ fma, so there will have to be some. I'll try to work on that, though. Ugh, finals...well, good luck on yours! The only ones I'm really worried about are pre-calc and honors chem...evil classes. Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Well, you know me, I won't keep you waiting forever with the chapters. Especially if you bug the crap out me (I'm not saying anyone does, but that is a good method to get me to update). Thanks for reviewing!

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Days passed, each new one bringing a new potential mother or father for the two boys, and each one being shot down or turned away by Ed's grumpy attitude. Anyone could see that it was taking a toll on Al as well, not having someone to care for him and only him. He was so used to the love and affection his mother gave him so frequently, and even though Winry tried, she had the other kids to care for as well. Ed cared for Al, that was plain enough to see by the way he always stood up for him and protected him, but he never showed that he loved him, even though Al knew he did.

It had been just them against the world for a long time before Winry found them one day, huddled together in a piss-stained alley, a small blanket barely covering them both in an attempt to block out the cold. It had been in that time when those terrible things had happened to Ed. Al still felt partially responsible, though he knew Ed would yell at him for thinking such things. It _was_ his fault, though, the men had cornered _him_, they had intended to rape _him_. Ed had noticed he was missing, though, and found him before it was too late. Al still didn't know how Ed managed to basically switch their positions, with the men surrounding Ed and Al on the outside to observe it all. Ed had told him to run then, and he did. He ran as fast as he could back to their little alley to leave Ed there, all alone.

Al tried to shake the memories from his head, _"Why? Why did I run? I could have helped him. We both could have gotten out safely. Why did I run?"_ Al had hated himself for leaving Ed behind since that day, and never forgave himself. Ed, of course, told him it wasn't his fault at all. He said that it was his responsibility to keep Al safe since he was the oldest, and that Al would have done the same if he were in Ed's position. He also said that it couldn't have been helped, and that he would rather it have been him than Al. Even though he said all these things, Al couldn't help but feel guilty, feel like _he_ was responsible.

He slowly walked down the hallway that led to his and Ed's room, where the older one currently was, sulking. He had gotten in yet another fight, over protecting Al once more. This time, a few kids were bullying Al, pushing him around for no good reason. Ed happened upon them and once again took the responsibility of protecting his younger brother. Of course, the kids were all at least a year older than him, and there were four of them, so Ed was beaten up pretty badly before Winry noticed it. They couldn't make the excuse that Jimmy had; that Ed had attacked them and it was only self defense. That didn't help the bruise covering Ed's left eye, though, or the pain he flet whenever he breathed in too deep, moving something that shouldn't have been moved.

Finally reaching their room, Al hesitated a moment before entering. He knew Ed would want to be alone, but Winry had sent Al to talk to him. She knew that Ed didn't start the fights, per say, but that his bad attitude wasn't what helped end them, either. So, it was now up to Al to try and convince Ed that he didn't need to start fights to protect Al, and that it was even making it harder on the younger one. He didn't have many friends because everyone was too afraid to mess with him, even jokingly or playfully, for fear that Ed would see it and misinterpret. Al couldn't blame them; he wouldn't want to be around Ed if he weren't his brother or the one that Ed was constantly trying to protect.

Brown eyes glanced over to his brother's bed, and saw only a lump of covers that shifted slightly when the door closed. Smiling slightly, Al walked over to sit on his own bed, "Brother?"

"What?" came the muffled reply from under the blankets.

"Can we talk?" Al asked, wondering how he was going to convince the hotheaded boy that he didn't need to be so...hotheaded.

Ed finally came out from the security of his blankets, stretching out from his little ball and wincing as he did, _"Bad idea."_ he thought, finally coming to rest on his back with the covers now around his waist, "What about?" he asked in reply to Al's question in a tone that was as casual as any other; showing not the slightest hint of the bad mood he had been in not five minutes ago.

"You don't need to always protect me, you know." Al whispered, "It's not that I don't appreciate it, but I don't want to see you get hurt anymore."

Ed glanced over at his brother, "Al, I have to protect you; I'm obligated to as your older brother. We've been through this before."

"I know, but..." Al trailed off, looking down at his hands, "I just want you to be nice sometimes. I can understand why you'd be in a bad mood, but it was almost a year ago that it happened, and even though I still feel guilty, I don't let it control my life."

Ed shifted a little, "You shouldn't feel guilty, Al, it's not like you could have stopped it from happening. Better me than you."

"But I do!" Al cried, a desperate tone in his voice, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have let my guard down, and you had to pay for it!"

The older one looked over to see his brother with tears in his eyes. He quickly looked away, hating the pain he saw etched on the other boy's face, "It's not your fault." he muttered, "I did what I had to do to protect you, and I don't regret it one bit."

"Then why are you so bitter about it?" Al asked.

"I'm not bitter." Ed said, defensively, "I just hate how everyone acts like they understand what happened, like they know what I've gone through."

"I might not understand what you're feeling, but I do understand that you've been hurt. I only want to help you, Ed."

"I don't need any help." said boy replied, looking in the opposite direction of Al. He thought the conversation was over until he heard a soft sniffle. He glanced back over to Al to see him wiping away unwanted tears, "What's wrong?" he asked, slighlty concerned.

"You act so strong all the time, brother, but I know that deep down you must want to cry. Since you won't, then I'll cry for you."

Ed was speechless, "Don't...don't cry on my behalf, Al." he whispered. Seeing that his words weren't getting through, Ed pushed the rest of the covers off and jumped up, ignoring the pain shooting through his body. He slowly walked over and sat down next to the crying boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer, "Please, don't cry because of me." he said, his voice breaking as he felt his own tears stinging his eyes. He blinked furiously, trying to keep them back. He had spent so much time convincing himself that he couldn't cry for Al's sake, but perhaps him _not_ crying because of Al affected the latter as much as it did Ed when Al did cry because of him.

Al looked up to Ed, seeing the pain and guiltiness reflected in his golden eyes. He leaned into the embrace and smiled softly as Ed wrapped his other arm around the younger one's chest, pulling him into a hug, "I won't cry if you make me a promise." Al whispered.

"What's that?" Ed asked, ready to do anything that Al requested of him.

"Give these people a chance, some of them were really nice." Al was, of course, talking about the men and women who had come looking to adopt a child, and were pushed away by Ed, "I want a home." he added, almost unconsciously, looking up to the older one once more with pleading eyes.

Ed's heart broke at the last request and, without much thought, leaned down to place a soft kiss on his brother's lips. It lasted only a second, but in that breif moment, Al felt a single drop of warm liquid hit his cheek. It was simply an act of brotherly love and perhaps a way to seal the promise, and Al smiled as the older one pulled away and uttered his final words, "I promise."

With that said, Ed hugged his brother once more and stood, retreating back to his bed and falling quickly asleep. As stood as well, heading to the door to inform Winry of his success. He glanced back once more at the sleeping brother, convinced that things would start to look up.

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So, so, so sorry I didn't put Roy in here! First thing next chapter, though, I promise! And I don't break my promises; you'll see! Well, hope you liked the chappy anyway, and that was the little bit of EdAl that I was talking about in the beginning of the fic. There won't be much more than that unless I'm feeling froggy, which doesn't happen very often. Review!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry it's been a while, I've been really busy...heh. Enjoy!

Red Kitsune Flames: I think everyone wants him in here, lol. It is kind of fun to torture you all, but I'll be nice! Hopefully we'll get Ed out of his crappy mood a little, too. Thanks for reviewing!

Black Water-Fox: Glad that you like it so much (kind of nervous, it's my first fma fic...)! Thanks for reviewing!

Cobra Rigoletti: Thanks, and angst is half of the fun, lol! Thanks for reviewing! (Oh, drama and humor make up the other half with OOCness to be used sparingly).

PsycoNeko15:Sorry, I think you asked me that before, didn't you? Someone did...Anyway, Winry...in her 20's, I suppose. She's not Ed and Al's age, but she's not really old either. Around 23, I guess. She can be how ever old you want her to be, though (just as long as it's not, like, 7 or 70). Thanks for reviewing!

BlackFire-Dog: I think I didn't draw the fight out because it wasn't exactly the purpose of the chapter (that and I'm extremely lazy). In any case, I get what you're saying, and I'll make the next one longer. There probably won't be any more in the orphanage, but I have an idea that'll make Ed have to fight someone, and I'll try and do better with that one. Lol, I love my brother, so I don't know how you feel, but my best friend and her brother are like that. Is your brother around the same age as you, maybe a few years younger? Hmm, I guess you'll just have to wait and find out about Roy...though you won't have to wait for too long because he's coming up soon! I'm in high school (senior, whoo!). What grade are you in?

Qtip: I will, Roy's coming up in a few minutes (depending on your reading speed, that is)! Thanks for reviewing!

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The next morning, Ed woke up a lot later than usual, _"I didn't even hear Al trying to wake me up."_ he thought to himself, stretching. Bad idea. He winced as his overly sore body screamed at being treated so harshly, _"Damn, those kids did more damage than I thought."_ he thought, shaking off the immediate pain and just ignoring the lingering burning feeling in his shoulders. Pushing the covers off, he stood, reminding himself _not_ to stretch again. He quickly slipped on a T-shirt, and exited the cramped room to see if there was any food left.

Downstairs, he saw that it wasn't as late as he thought as everyone was still eating. Slipping into the chair next to Al, he ignored most of the stares that were aimed at his bruises and looked to his brother, who was smiling, "I didn't expect you to be awake so early." he said, teasingly.

"Ha ha." Ed replied, not finding it a bit humorous, "Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked, grabbing a piece of toast and glancing around for the eggs.

"I thought you might want some extra rest, so I just let you sleep." Al explained, motioning for one of the kids to pass the desired food down their way. He was sure Ed would have responded, but he was already busy digging into his breakfast.

Winry then appeared, smilnig at the eating boy, "Well, you're in a good mood today, I see."

"You act like I'm manic depressive or something." Ed said, dryly, giving her a bored look, "I'm nothing of the sort."

Winry just laughed a little, almost nervously, "I never said that, Ed, I just meant that you seemed like you were in a better mood than yesterday."

"Whatever." was the only reply she got. Sighing, Winry went on her way, leaving the brothers to talk, "Why does she insist on always talking to me?" the older one wondered.

"She's just trying to be nice." Al explained, emptying his glass of milk, "You're not the easiest person to get along with sometimes."

Ed gave the empty glass a glare then shuttered; how his brother could drink that stuff, he'd never know. He then turned his attention back to the conversation, "I'm not that bad."

"Whatever you say, brother." the younger one responded, smiling. Ed just shot a glare at Al, though it was almost playful, and continued on with his meal.

Just as she sat down to eat her own breakfast, Winry heard a knock on the door. Sighing, she got up to answer it. She laughed to herself how it seemed that she was cursed to always answer this door, _"It's amazing how many people want to adopt children."_ she thought, but was glad that at least the children could finally have a home to go to. Some were as young as five and had been orphaned. Other just had horrible pasts that they could finally forget about with a new family and a new life, _"Like Ed."_ she thought, hoping that he would be a little more cooperative from now on. Al had told her that he would, but that didn't mean that he couldn't still drive people away.

Opening the door, her breath caught in her throat at the man before her. He smiled at her, revealing a set of perfectly white, straight teeth. Her eyes ran over his casual yet professional look. He had a white, button-up shirt on, the top two buttons left open, tucked into a pair of black dress pants. It would have looked either boring or stuck-up on anyone except him. On him it just looked perfect, "Hello." he said.

"H-hi." Winry managed to get out. His voice was slightly husky, yet it seemed as if an angel was singing when he spoke. Shaking her head, she focused on what she was supposed to do, "Welcome, can I help you?"

He smiled at having her attention back to him instead of his body. Not that he wasn't used to it or anything, "I think you might be able to, I'd like to adopt a child."

_"Obviously."_ Winry thought, smirking. It was nice to know that besides being exxtremely hot, this man was also a bit of a dork, "Well, why don't you come in and we can discuss it further?" she suggested.

"Wonderful." he replied, stepping inside and shutting the door, "By the way, my name is Roy Mustang."

Winry smiled up at him, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Roy, my name is Winry."

"That's a lovely name." Roy replied, taking her hand and shaking it twice.

A small blush covered Winry's face, "Thank you." she said, then once again got back on track, "Did you have a specific gender or age in mind?" she asked.

Adjusting quickly to the change in subject, Roy nodded, "I was considering a son." he informed her, "I hadn't really thought on much else, I was hoping to get a look at them."

Winry nodded enthusiastically, "Of course!" she exclaimed, "They should be having playtime right now; we just finished breakfast. Follow me." With that, Winry led Roy outside, completely oblivivous to the lone blonde boy, who was still in the dining room, inhaling the rest of his breakfast.

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Oh, what? Did you honestly expect them to meet right off the bat and have sparks fly? Heh, you don't know me very well, then. They'll get together...eventually. What might happen between now and then, though, is completely up to chance. Maybe Roy will notice Al...or maybe he won't see anyone he wants to adopt and leave... who knows? Review!


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry I haven't updated in a while...stupid site wasn't giving me my stories screen again. Anyone have any idea why that keeps happening to me? I get a blank story and stat screen, like, every few days. It's really annoying...is it just the site? Anyway, enjoy!

freya kurenai: You should know better than to know I'm mysterious, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

million-tears: For the sake of...? Lol, anyway, thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Heh, well, we'll have to wait a _little_ while until that relationship can happen, but I'm sure Winry's reaction will be priceless. Thanks for reviewing!

AngstReflection: You're telling me! I've been waiting as long as you have. Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: I won't reveal too much yet, but it will all make sense in time. Thanks for reviewing!

AngylLayDying: Yep, Ed's a good big brother, I'll give him that much! Nah, it's not mean, I love angst, too! Heh, I'm sure Roy'll be able to do something to cheer Ed up... whatever could that be, though? Thanks for reviewing!

maria: I think it would be quite messed up if he didn't adopt them both. Splitting up the Elric brothers...nope, not liking that idea. Glad you liked my Roy (I hate writing characters I haven't written before). Thanks for reviewing!

mustang24: Roy is quite an odd guy, I'll give him that. He's fun, though, you must admit. Thanks for reviewing!

Black Water-Fox: I don't know about unexpected, but I think I did an okay job of getting them to meet. It is through Al, so I kind of took your suggestion there. Thanks for reviewing!

Dev-chan: Ah, I have you addicted? Well, it's nice to know I can provide that for you, lol. Plus, it keeps ya away from drugs! Thanks for reviewing!

BlackFire-Dog: If Ed tried to literally inhale the food, I may have to smack him. I'm taking it you've acquired this information through personal experiences? That's probably why your brother bugs you so much; older children can never stand their younger siblings. At least not while they still live together. After you move out I'm sure you two will get closer (that's what happened with me and my brother). Thanks for reviewing!

PsycoNeko15: I do realize there's a bit of an age difference, but don't worry, I'll fix it...eventually. It'll all work out in the end, just know that much. Thanks for reviewing!

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"Well, here they are." Winry said, proudly, smiling as her and Roy entered the back yard where all the children currently were. Roy surveyed the children, looking to see which ones seemed the most interactive; he certainly didn't want a loner for a child. Winry tilted her head to the side, "You're free to talk with them and get to know them better." she offered.

Roy smiled a little, "That sounds better than what I was going with." he admitted.

Before he could move to one little boy who was hanging from the jungle gym, a ear-piercing scream filled the air, alerting everyone to whomever made the sound. Looking around, Winry quickly spotted the source of the siren-like sound; a little girl had fallen and scraped her knee. A few other girls were crowded around her, whom she was playing some game involving a jump rope with. Winry was at her side in a flash and bent down, removing the shild's hands from her knee, "Don't worry, it's just a scratch." she assured the girl. The girl said nothing, but sniffed back her tears and nodded, allowing Winry to pick her up. The older woman turned to Roy, "I've got to take care of this, can you watch the children for a minute?"

Roy hesitated at the responsibility of who knows how many children, but nodded nonetheless. Winry smiled her thanks and quickly took the injured girl inside. Roy sighed, turning back around to see that many of the children had already resumed playing their games. He smirked as one boy fell off balance trying to play hopscotch and realized it was the same boy he was about to go talk to before the interruption. Heading towards the brown-haired child, Roy almost made it this time, but was once again distracted by yelling. This time, though, it was a boy who was trying to reason with someone about something or another.

Scanning the yard, Roy quickly found that it was a blonde boy that look to be about 9 or 10 that was doing the yelling. Well, it was more like pleading since Roy really couldn't picture such a mild-looking boy yelling. The boy was surrounded by three older kids who were pushing him back and forth, laughing at his attempts to make them stop. The youngest one tripped over his own feet and fell face first onto the ground, making the older boys laugh even harder.

Angered at the immature kids, Roy walked over to them, "What's going on here?"

One of the older boys, seemingly the leader of their little group, turned to Roy, "Who the hell are you?"

Roy frowned at the language, "I really don't think Miss Winry would approve of that kind of language." he informed the kid.

The latter shrugged, "Who cares, she's not here, is she?"

"No, but she put _me_ in charge of you, and I'm saying that _I_ don't approve of your language." Roy countered, smirking at the glare he got.

"Whatever." the kid dismissed him, motioning to the other two to leave.

With the bullies gone, Roy turned his attention to the bullied. The youngest one was just standing up, and brushing himself off. After that was done, he looked up to Roy and offered the older one a smile, "Thanks." he said in a quiet voice.

Roy returned the smile, "No problem." he said, "What's your name?"

"Alphonse Elric." he replied, "Everyone calls me Al, though."

"I don't think I've ever heard anyone named Alphonse before." Roy commented, extending his hand, "Well, Al, my name's Roy."

Al took the older one's hand and smiled, "Hi."

This, of course, is the precise moment that Ed decided to check things out outside. The first thing that entered his sight was his brother, dirt and scuff marks up and down his arms and legs, shaking some strange man's hand. Warily, Ed made his way over to the two quickly. Reaching them, he looked the man up and down, but saw nothing incredibly special about him. In fact, he looked like a pervert to Ed, but he tried to tell himself to give the guy a chance and maybe it was just his paranoia, "Al, who's this guy?"

"Better than 'who the hell are you', I guess." Roy commented under his breath.

Al looked to his older brother, "This is Roy, he chased off Jimmy and those other two boys."

"They were bothering you again?" Ed growled, "What is their problem?" Sighing, Ed looked to the man, now known as Roy, once again. If he chased off those bastards, he couldn't be all bad. Finally reaching the older man's face, Ed stared into his eyes, mesmerized by them. His eyes weren't like the others; they were... kind. Everyone else's eyes were either a mask of their true feelings and intentions or simply nonexpressive. Roy's, though, seemed to hold a sort of warmth that filled you up simply by looking at him long enough.

Seeing that the other blonde boy who had joinged them wasn't going to talk, Roy decided to do so, "What's your name?"

Snapping out of his daze, Ed blinked and focused in on Roy's words, _"My name?"_ he thought, wondering why Roy wanted his name. Telling himself not to be so paranoid, he grinned, "I'm Edward Elric." he stated, proudly.

"Edward, is it? Are you two brothers?" Roy asked; these two boys were interesting, to say the least.

Al answered this question, "Yeah, Ed's a year older than me."

"Well, it's nice to see that you two are close." Roy commented.

Just then, Winry emerged from the house, a smiling girl walking beside her, "You'll be okay now, right?" Winry asked the younger girl.

The latter smiled up at Winry and nodded, than ran off, "Thanks again, Miss Winry!" she called as she rejoined her friends.

Joining up with Roy, Ed, and Al, Winry looked to the oldest man, "So, are you interested in anyone?" she asked.

Roy glanced down to Ed and Al, "Actually, I'm interested in these two." he informed her.

Winry looked to the brothers, shocked, "Really? Both of them?"

Roy hesitated, "That's okay, right? I should make enough to support them both..."

Winry shook her head, "No, it's not that at all, you make more than enough." she assured him, "I'm just suprised is all." She then glanced down to Ed, "And... you're okay with this?"

Ed took one more look at Roy, glancing into his eyes and nodded, "Yeah."

Winry tried to contain her excitement of finding someone that Ed would actually consider leaving with, "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, then looked to Roy, practically beaming, "If you'll come with me, I'll give you the paperwork to fill out."

Ed looked to Al, "I guess we should get packing." he suggested, heading inside.

Al nodded, "Brother?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"You're not just doing this because of what I asked you to promise me, are you? Giving them a chance is one thing, but just going with the first guy you see..." Al trailed off, looking to Ed.

The older one walked the few steps back to his brother, "I did give him a chance because of you, Al, but you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't go with anyone I didn't trust. I have you to think of, too; do you think I would even consider someone who I thought might hurt you?"

Al shook his head, "No..."

"Exactly. I don't know what it is about that guy, he just seems...tolerable. He's so different from the others who have come here." A moment of silence passed over the brothers until the older one grinned, "Race you upstairs!" he shouted, taking off for the house.

Al gasped at the sudden change in mood and took off after Ed, "No fair, Ed, you got a head start!"

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Next chappy Ed and Al will move in with Roy, and much chaos will ensue! Hope this was worth the wait, review!


	7. Chapter 7

Yay, so now I can update at home again. Who knows how long it will last for, but might as well make the best of it! So, without further ado, enjoy!

Black Water-Fox: Thanks a bunch. Glad you liked it, and thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: I haven't quite figured out _exactly_ how I'm going to work their relationship yet. It'll become romantic eventually. I know the whole age thing is an issue right now, but by the time they get together, it won't be. As for the whole 'how can a guy have a baby' question, just go read my fic, Happiness of Those Who Believe. Around the 17th chappy. Yep, I've done it all (even had a dude knock up another dude). Thanks for reviewing!

million-tears: Nice to know I've got a fan. Thanks for reviewing!

katiea-chan: Roy's great; he's one of my favorite fam character. Besides Ed, of course! Maes was pretty awesome, too...poor Maes...Thanks for reviewing!

BlackFire-Dog: Heh, nice; that's all I've got to say. I've never met an older sibling that could stand the younger ones. Unless they're really little (like 5 or 6, then they're just too little to not like). It's right around that 8-14 range that most can't stand their younger silblings (including me and my brother...heh, I was a pain in the ass, though). Ooh, world dominance, that's a popular one. Right up there with superhero and astronaut. Thanks for reviewing!

A/N: In the interest of getting this story to move along, we're going to skip right to when Ed and Al are about to leave. Forget all that paper-signing and packing crap.

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"So, are you sure you two have everything?" Winry asked for about the billionth time.

Ed just looked annoyed while Al smiled, "Yes, Miss Winry, we're ready."

"Okay..." Winry said, hesitantly. As much as she knew that the two would be okay with Roy, she always hated whenever any of the children left. After they became accustomed to the ways of life around the orphanage, the children really started to become like a family, and Winry hated losing family members, _"I'm not losing them."_ she reminded herself once more.

Ed saw that this was getting them no where, "Look, if there's a problem, we have the number and can call here anytime." he reminded her, "We'll be fine."

Winry smiled, "You're right." she admitted, "I expect you two to stop by and visit though, got it?"

"Of course!" Al agreed, "We'd be crazy not to."

Winry now turned her attention to Roy, "If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call."

Roy smirked, "I don't think we'll have any problems." he assured her, looking down to the brothers for confirmation. Ed still looked annoyed, but Al nodded eargerly in agreement. It was clearly obvious he was excited about getting a new home. Roy turned to leave, "Well, we should get going, then." he suggested.

Ed nodded and followed him towards the door. Al turned back to Winry once more, "Bye!" he called before turning to follow his brother and new father out the door.

"Bye." Winry whispered, smiling sadly as Al disappeared from sight. Her attention was soon drawn to children calling her name, and the brothers were gone from her mind, if only for the moment.

Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of a huge house that couldn't possibly be Roy's. Al gaped at the size, "Brother, look at this house!" he exclaimed.

Ed had had his eyes closed in an attempt to get some rest before the chaos of moving in unleashed itself upon him. He now turned his gaze to the building that had his brother awestruck, and his golden eyes widened, "It's...huge!" Ed said, mouth hanging open (A/N: No laughing at the huge comment...heh).

Roy smirked, finally getting a reaction out of the elder brother, "Welcome home." he announced as the car finally came to a stop at the gate that led to the walkway which in turn led to stepping stones crossing the yard, finally reaching the porch. If this house was anything, it would have to be classified at ginormous.

Suddenly, a thought sprung into Ed's head, "What do you do?" he asked, managing to rip his gaze from the house and equally spacious yard, "For a living, I mean."

Roy smirked once again, that was becoming a habit around the older Elric, "Things children have no business knowing about." he replied, having to restrain himself from laughing at the glare that comment recieved him.

"We're not children." Ed defended himself as well as his brother, "Children have a childhood, which we were deprived of."

Roy frowned, and Al sighed, "Brother, he didn't mean anything by it."

Ed shot one more glare at Roy before sliding out of the car, "Whatever." was his only response as he grabbed the suitcase he brought with him.

Al looked to Roy, "Ed's probably just a little worked up from moving." he offered.

Roy nodded, though they both knew what it was. Ed simply didn't like Roy. He might tolerate him, but they weren't going to be drinking buddies anytime soon, _"Other than the fact that he's only 11."_ Roy thought, realizing a lot about his daily life was going to change now that he had children around. Despite what Ed claimed, at least the younger one was still too naive and innocent for most of the things that Roy did. He sighed, _"I'll have to keep the drinking and bringing women home to a limit, too."_ he thought, rethinking his decision momentarily. Shaking it off, he saw that Al had exited the car, too, and was now running to catch up with Ed.

Reaching the front door first, Ed yanked on the handle, "Locked." he informed Al as the younger one reached him, "Of course."

"Well, if I had a house like this, I'd lock it, too." Al noted, staring up the height of the house, "How many rooms do you think are in here?"

"42." Roy informed them as he pulled out his key and unlocked the door, "3 bathrooms as well."

Al looked to him, "Don't you ever get lonely?" he wondered, following the other two inside.

Roy grinned to himself, "No, I have company over a lot." he said, trying to phrase it delicately enough for the two minors.

Ed looked around, seeing that the place was a lot neater than he would have given Roy credit for, "You have a maid or something?" he asked, seeing that even the floors had been swept, mopped, or vaccumed.

Roy shook his head, leading the two upstairs, "No, I never really felt comfortable with other people cleaning my things." he replied, finally stopping at the top of the stairs, "Alright, there's a bathroom up here and one downstairs. The other one only has a sink and toilet, it's downstairs by the front door." he pointed to a door near the top of the staris where the bathroom was, "You can have any of the rooms you want up here, they're all the same."

"Where's your room?" Ed asked, heading to the first door he saw.

"Downstairs." Roy informed him, then shrugged at the quizzical look he recieved, "I don't like sleeping upstairs. Besides, the coffee is downstairs."

Ed scoffed, "Figures." he muttered, sticking his head in the room, "It's as good as any, I guess." he said, mostly to himself, then threw his suitcase onto the bed.

Al walked in behind him and gasped, "Brother, this room is huge!" Indeed it was significantly bigger than any room either boy had ever lived in. The king-size bed was pushed against the wall opposite the door, seeming to be the center of the room. Dark blue sheets covered it, matching the heavy curtains that covered the large window, which looked out over the side yard. Ed also noticed that they effectively blocked out the sun, which he was thankful for. Besides the bed, there wasn't much furniture in the room; a desk and chair, though much nicer than the one at the orphanage, a bookcase (once again, much fancier and able ot hold many more books than Ed's previous one), and a couple dressers finished off the room. The lack of things in it gave it an open feeling, which Ed liked. He hated always being cramped up and liked to spread out sometimes. All in all, this place wasn't shaping up to be too bad.

Roy smirked at the two once more before turning, "I'm guessing you two have had breakfast already?" he asked.

"If you could call it that." Ed muttered, rummaging through his suitcase, pulling out a few ratty, torn books that he had managed to get away with.

Roy raised an eyebrow at the condition, "I'll have to take you two shopping soon, too." he noted.

Ed glanced at him, "For what?" he wondered. Obviously, they'd need more than the two outfits they each had, but he also hoped he could go shopping for some new books.

Roy shrugged, "Whatever you want, as long as it's legal." he informed the older one, "So, did that comment mean you wanted breakfast or not?"

"I guess it depends." Ed replied, giving up on the horrid clothes he'd been forced to wear and shoving them back in the suitcase, "Can you cook?"

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Jeez, Ed'll probably fall for him just because he can cook a decent meal. As long as there's no milk on the breakfast table, that is...I know this chapter wasn't incredibly exciting, but I'm planning for Roy and Ed to have a real heart to heart sometime soon, and maybe get Ed out of this pissy mood. That'll do us all a world of good, I'm sure!


	8. Chapter 8

Yay, I got a new laptop! It was from my brother as a belated Christmas present. My brother's awesome...Anyhow, enjoy!

freya kurenai: Lol, we all need to talk in incomprehensible english sometimes...it's what makes the world go 'round. That and sanwiches...and coffee! Need coffee...heh...thanks for reviewing!

PsycoNeko15: Well, I was planning on it, but maybe I'll hold off a couple days next time, see what happens. Or not... thanks for reviewing!

Black Water-Fox: I do that all the time. Over the summer and on the weekends I'll usually stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning. Hell, I'll do it any day, but I try to get at least 5 hours of sleep for school. Just so I don't fall asleep in class (it's hard enough as it is). Thanks for revieiwng!

AngylLayDying: I was fortunate to inherit some sort of cooking gene from someone in my family. We're all fairly good at it (though my brother is way too lazy to actually cook...but he's good when he does it!). I'm glad my family can cook, though, it would suck if we had no way to get good cooked food other than ordering out or fast food (we'd all be extremely fat that way, too). Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Ed's so fun to write. Of course, who doesn't love a pissy, sarcastic, short person? (ducks as flying objects via Ed are thrown at her). Heh, it was worth it...thanks for reviewing!

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Roy smirked at the question, "Of course I can." he replied, "Who can't cook?"

"Ed can't." Al offered, looking up from his own ratty suitcase, "He actually burned water once. I didn't even think it was possible..."

Ed glared, "Thanks, traitor."

Al smiled, "Well, it's true. You _can't_ cook."

Ed sighed, "So, what? If this guy can, then why should I have to?"

Roy raised an eyebrow, "Well, if you'll excuse this guy, he's going to go make breakfast for people who actually know his name."

Ed spun on his heel, "What? You can't do that! I know your name. It's...umm." he let his mouth hang open as the nameless man left the room, "Bastard!"

Roy chuckled, "Nope, try again." he called back.

Ed looked to his brother, "What's that bastard's name?"

Al shrugged, innocently, "I don't know." he lied, grinning.

Ed, however, was not finding this as funny and chased Al as he ran out of the room, "Al, get back here. Traitor!" he yelled as the two flew down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Roy had to jump back as the two flew into his kitchen, one blonde right on the other one's trail. He frowned as they dashed between his furniture, coming dangerously close to knocking it all over and starting a fatal chain reaction, "No running." he ordered, stopping Al immediately.

Ed wasn't as quick to listen, and smacked face first into his brother, sending them both tumbling to the ground, "Damn, Al, why'd you stop?"

"Because Mr. Mustang told us to." Al replied, standing up and brushing himself off.

Roy smirked at the title, "There's no reason to call me that, Al." he informed the younger brother as he set food out on the table, "Just call me..." he glanced to Ed, who was looking at him, waiting to hear the name, "by my first name." he finished, smirking yet again at the boy's glare.

"What's your name, damn it?" he demanded, standing up as well, "I'm hungry."

"Well, now if I told you, that would be cheating." Roy informed Ed.

"Cheating?" Ed repeated, then frowned, then glared, "You ass, this isn't a game!"

Roy laughed, "Of course it is. If you can't tell me my name, then you don't get to eat. Those are the rules."

Ed crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, pouting, "I don't want to live here." he stated.

Roy lost his smirk and frowned, "Why not?" he asked, almost teasingly.

"Because you're a bastard!" Ed snapped.

Al laughed nervously, "Ed always gets like this when he's hungry." he informed a shocked Roy, "Or angry at something. Or angry at someone. Or bored. Or tired. Or... actually, he's like this a lot."

Roy finished setting the table, "You know Ed, if you're hungry, you should really eat something."

"Very funny." Ed said, malice filling his voice, "Bastard." he added, almost unconsciously by now.

"Huh?" Roy asked, looking back and forth in between the brothers, "What's...oh." a smile spread across his face as he realized what Ed's problem was, "You... you thought I was serious?" he asked, trying to hold back his laugh. He knew that laughing at Ed probably wouldn't be the best thing to do right now.

Ed glanced at him, "You...weren't serious?"

Roy shook his head, pushing his fit of laughter elsewhere, "Of course not. I'm not that much of a bastard."

Ed glared, "That's still to be determined." he informed Roy as he rushed past him to the table, "And you better not have been lying about being a good cook." he said, a bit threateningly.

Al walked at a much calmer pace to the table, "Brother, it's not his fault if he can't cook well." he pointed out, "And he never said he was a good cook, just that he could cook. You can cook, too, though..." Al thought about it for a moment, "I'm not sure I would call the ending product food, exactly."

Roy chuckled as he sat down on the opposite side of the table from the brothers, "Well, no worries; I am a pretty good cook." he assured the two.

"Cocky bastard." Ed commented before shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth. His eyes widened as the flavor rushed through his mouth, "This...is..." he trailed off, looking up at Roy, a look of pure shock on his face.

Al looked between the two, a little worriedly, "Brother?" he asked, wondering what was wrong with the food.

"Well?" Roy asked, wondering if it really was bad. He'd never had a problem with it, and neither had anyone else who had eaten his cooking.

"AMAZING!" Ed finally finished, snapping out of his daze, "I've never..." he trailed off once again, turning to Al, "Eat, Al, this food is..." he paused to shove some more in his mouth, making sure that it was really as good as he had imagined it. It was.

Roy grinned, "I've got to say, I think you're the first person that has lost their inablility to complete sentences over food." he noted, taking a bite of the food himself. He did have to admit that it was pretty good, but not nearly his best. He was a bit afraid to see what Ed would do if he tasted anything better, though it could be entertaining to see what he would do for some good food. Roy's smirk widened as he went through the possibilities.

"Wow, this is really good!" Al exclaimed, a mouth full of the fluffy eggs and crispy bacon hindering his ability to speak.

Ed turned to his brother, "Good? How dare you insult this miraculous cooking with such a mundane word as good?" he demanded.

"Umm, I'm sorry?" Al said, looking to Roy as if the older one would know how to respond. The latter, of course, just chuckled to himself and shook his head.

Ed huffed, "Well, you should be." he said. Satisfied that he had properly defended the food, he went back to eating it. Glancing around for a particular substance, Roy noticed that he had forgotten it. Sighing, he stood up. Ed's eyes followed him, "Where are you going?" he wondered, hoping that it was to make more food.

Roy opened his fridge, pulling out the desired item and holding it up, "Forgot the milk." he said, grabbing a few glasses on his way back to the table, "You boys want some?"

"Sure." Al said, snickering at Ed as he drank the entire glass in one drink.

Ed stared at his brother, horrified, "How...you...but...you're not my brother!" he finally cried, turning back to the comfort of his delicious food, shivering at the thought.

Roy raised an eyebrow as Al laughed and Ed continued to stuff his face, "Is he bipolar or something?" he whispered to Al.

Al shook his head, "Ed doesn't like milk." he explained.

"Doesn't like it doesn't even come close." Ed added, "The stuff is vile; it tastes like regurgitated puke!"

Roy smirked, "So, you want some, then?" he asked, puring a glass and setting it in front of Ed, "There you go." he went to pour his own glass, but paused, "Actually, since you seem to love milk so much, I'll just leave you the carton and take the glass." he offered, unable to keep his laugh supressed this time as Ed eyed the glass carefully.

When it was removed, the older brother relaxed a little, but golden eyes bulged out of his head as the entire carton was placed way too close to him, "Get that nasty stuff away from me!" he yelled, arms flailing. He managed to push the carton away...and send it flying across the room, finally coming to rest in a puddle on Roy's carpet.

Ed glanced warily at the white liquid pouring out of the carton and then shifted his gaze to Roy, who was raising an eyebrow at him, "Well, now you've done it." he said, looking to the ruined carpet, "I expect you'll clean it up?"

If it was possible, Ed's eyes got even wider, "You expect to go near that stuff?" he asked, pointing an accusing finger at the milk.

Roy nodded, "You did spill it, didn't you? If you don't clean it up quickly, it'll set in the carpet and the entire house will smell like milk."

Ed gaped at this revelation, "You're serious?" he asked, completely naive. Roy nodded, and with that nod, Ed shot into the kitchen and grabbed soap, a towel, and a cup of warm water, and quickly raced to the scene of the accident. If there was one thing he hated more than the taste of milk, it was the smell of it.

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Poor Ed, it wasn't his fault...Roy did put the vile stuff right next to him; what did he expect? Lol, I guess that's what you get when you live with Ed...sorry this is so short (cringes at the shortness), but the next chapter will be fun. Roy and Ed get their little heart to heart and...well, I won't tell you what happens. You'll just have to wait. Heh, I love being evil...review!


	9. Chapter 9

(stops cussing site long enough to update and find a computer it will work on). I swear...every other freaking day...nevermind. Hello! Umm, welcome to yet another exciting chapter of Orphaned! There will be slight fluff towards the end, so be prepared for that, and say goodbye to little Ed, for I think next chappy we're going to move along in the story. Maybe not... We'll see how it goes. In any case, enjoy!

freya kurenai: I can't wait to read your poem, hope you update it soon. The second one was Kazuya's as well, correct? Thanks for reviewing!

Ren-Fan-33: Lol, I'm with you on the food thing. Great food (not a fancy person here...) makes the world go 'round! Thanks for revieiwng!

darkraven89: Roy and Ed are wonderful together, I'll agree on that. I'll try to make this fic a top proiority for updating (of course, with the site being as it is, I don't know how often that'll be...). Thanks for revieiwng!

Larania Drake: Don't worry, I know everyone's been asking about the ages. Like I said before, Ed _will_ be older before they get too serious. Which, he will shortly so we can get to the good stuff, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

Black Water-Fox: The milk idea was actually suggested to me from someone off of the aff website, and I'm glad they did! Thanks for reviewing!

PsycoNeko15: I don't think anyone likes just regular milk (besides my brother...he's weird, though). Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Nope, not a milk fan here. Strawberry milk is good, I just hate the taste of milk. Even with cereal, very little milk is the best. Glad you liked the funny, thanks for reviewing!

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Hectic couldn't even come close to describing the rest of the day for Roy. He made the mistake of taking Ed shopping with a nearly unlimited amount of money. Of course, he could have limited the boy's funds, but he didn't want to make a bad impression. However, he also didn't want to go bankrupt, and at the rate Ed had been going (buying whatever he saw that interested him for even a moment) that possibility was becoming more and more of a reality. He knew he had to put a stop to the chaos, but didn't want to ruin the almost happy look he saw on the older brother's face. Ed still hadn't smiled much since he'd been there. Perhaps a sarcastic grin or two, but no real smiling. Roy idly wondered if Ed had ever smiled much before; he didn't seem like the kind of kid to smile. He was always so depressed and withdrawn, though shopping did seem to take him out of that state. Maybe it was just spending money (Roy's money, that is) that he enjoyed.

Al was there as well, of course, but unless you looked for him, he might as well have not been. Compared to Ed's erratic shopping (there was no other word for it), Al seemed nonexistant. He only asked for things he really wanted or needed, and even then he was always hesitant and quiet about it. Roy supposed the two brothers were a perfect compliment to each other. Ed's almost psychotic behavior to Al's almost catatonic behavior. It's true, the two could swap personalities in the blink of an eye, but Al seemed to be the level headed one overall. Roy's thoughts were interrupted as Ed bounded up to him, "I want this." he stated, holding up his prize. They were currently in a toy store (_big_ mistake), and Ed had been thus far mia. Of course, he was just looking for the most useless (and therefore most expensive) toy he could find. That was another thing about shopping with Ed and Al. Ed always said something along the lines of 'I want this.' or 'I have to have this.' whereas Al always asked politely 'Can I have this?' or 'This isn't too expensive, is it?'. Right now, the younger one was a blessing to Roy's wallet, counterbalancing Ed's ability to spend a hole in said wallet.

Roy decided enough was enough of the usless wasting of his hard earned money, "Do you even know what that is?" he asked, looking the...thing over. He sure as hell didn't know what it was.

Ed hesitated, "Sure...it's a whatchamicallit."

Roy smirked, "Of course, how foolish of me. What is it's purpose exactly?"

"Well, you see, the thingamadoober and the flackfracker work together to...No, I don't know what it does." he admitted, looking away.

Roy laughed, tossing the whatchamathingadoober aside, "How about we go check out the bookstore?" Roy suggested, jumping out of the way of a speeding bullet, a.k.a. Ed. He grinned as Al followed much more calmly behind, Roy himself bringing up the rear.

The bookstore. Ed's home away from home, now that he finally had one. He glanced to Al as he went off to browse books under the new release section, but quickly turned his attention back to his kingdom. Taking a deep breath, he took one step foward...and felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. He turned, startled, to see Roy looking down at him, "Yeah?" he asked, wanting to desperately just go and look at books. He knew that he had spent a lot of money, but he would be damned if this is the place where Roy decided to cut his funds.

Roy was about to do just that, too, but knew how much Ed loved books. If Roy was going to take anything away from him, it would be all the useless junk he had bought previous to this; certainly not something that could actually be useful. So, he released Ed and smirked, "Go crazy." he finally said, wondering if that was the wisest thing to do. Of course, he realized it wasn't as soon as Ed bolted into the deepest and darkest parts of the store. Roy just pulled out his wallet, "I'm going to need more money." he commented to himself.

Two hours later, Ed finally reappeared. Well, a stack of books with two Ed-like legs protruding from underneath appeared. Roy picked the book off the top and looked at the cover, "Alchemy?" he asked, "You do know this stuff isn't real."

Ed peered around from the stack of books, "Of course it is, and I'm going to learn how to become an alchemist!" he objected.

Roy sighed, _"And here I thought my money was going to go into something useful."_ he thought, chuckling, _"I should have known better."_ He looked back up to see that Al had appeared by Ed's side, a couple of thin books in his hand as well, "I take it you're trying to become an alchemist as well?" he asked, almost sarcastically.

Al shook his head, "I don't have the skill, but Ed does." he informed Roy, "I'm just hoping once he gets good enough, he'll teach me something."

Ed looked to his brother, "Of course I will, Al. Besides, you just need to practice more; practice makes perfect!"

"Skill?" Roy repeated, "So, you've actually performed alchemy before?"

Ed nodded, "Well, kind of. It wasn't very good." he admitted, "That's why I'm going to study up, though. If I learn everything there is to know about alchemy, I'll get good at it in no time."

"Well, at least you're confident about it." Roy commented. He had heard of alchemy before, but had always thought it was just gossip; nothing real. He looked down at Ed, who was talking to his brother, and smirked. If anyone could be an alchemist, it would be him, "You two ready?" Roy asked.

Al and Ed both nodded, "Right behind you." the former replied. The three exited the bookstore, and the mall, and headed home.

_"That trip took longer than I thought."_ Roy thought, looking out the window of his car, _"It's already dark."_ It hadn't even been noon before they left for the mall, and now it was almost 8. Of course, an hour or so in each store would do that. Ed was busy looking through his new books while Al was sorting through his clothes, which both of the boys had needed desperately. Roy was glad that Ed at least had enough sense to request clothes shopping first, though that was where his wallet was hit the hardest. He just shook his head, it really didn't matter if it made the boys happy.

Soon enough, the three were back inside their house. Al and Ed immediately retired to their room, saying they were going to look through their new things until they fell asleep, "Thank you, again, Mr...umm, Roy." Al said, smiling up at said man.

Roy smirked and patted Al's head, "You're welcome." he said, "Good night."

"Good night!" Al called, following his brother up the stairs, who had neither said good night nor thanked him. Of course, Roy really hadn't expected him to. He could see, though, how greatful Ed was by the look in his eyes, and just assumed the boy's pride kept him from saying anything.

Sighing, he turned back to his kitchen where he started a cup of coffee. He disappeared into his bedroom for a moment only to reappear with a stack of papers in hand. He sat down at his kithen table, glancing over the papers and sighing once more, _"Time to get down to business."_ he thought, rearranging papers and setting some aside. He studied the photographs his boss had given him, and had to admit the woman was very pretty, even if that wasn't his cup of tea, so to speak. He looked over his orders once more, not that they were ever any different, and started to sort the research out. He had everything he needed to complete his task; the woman's home and work adress, any phone number that could be traced to her, a run down of her daily schedule, and other miscellanous facts about her that might have proved useful. One thing Roy was greatful for was that she lived alone, though she did live in an apartment on the other side of town. The neighbors could prove to be a hassle, but he could work around that. After all, he was the best at what he did.

A sound near the fridge startled him, he had been quite immersed in his work, and he looked up to see Ed rummaging for some sort of snack, "Don't you have anything that doesn't require cooking?" he asked, head burried in the fridge.

Roy quickly gathered up his papers and set them aside, they weren't the type of thing that Ed needed to see. He turned his attention back to the young boy, "I'm sure there's some ice cream in the freezer." he suggested, walking over to the coffee pot and pouring out a cup of the heaven-sent stuff into a mug. He thought of offering Ed some, but shuttered at the thought of Ed on coffee with the added sugar of ice cream.

Ed rummaged through the freezer before pulling out a gallon of mint chocolate chip ice cream, "You sure do know how to pick ice cream." he said, approvingly as he grabbed a bowl and a spoon as well as the ice cream scoop, and scooped some ice cream into his bowl. He put the ice cream back, and glanced at the coffee, "Coffee at this time of night?" he asked, looking to Roy.

"Long night." he said, tapping his papers, "Work."

Ed joined him at the table, "What _do_ you do?" he asked, "And don't tell me it's something children have no business knowing about."

"Sorry, if I told you, I'd have to kill you." Roy said, realizing how close to the truth that was. He frowned at Ed's glare, "I can tell you how I came about this house, though."

Ed raised an eyebrow, "You didn't buy it yourself?"

Roy chuckled, "No, not at all. I, personally, wouldn't have bought such a big house. It was my parent's house, though, and when they died, they left it to me."

Ed's eyes widened, "Died? Both of them?" he asked.

Roy nodded, "A car accident." he whispered, "One night, when they were coming home from work, a drunk driver..." he trailed off, swallowing hard at the memories.

Ed was all but speechless, "I...didn't know." he said, "I'm sorry."

Roy smiled faintly, "I've dealt with it." he replied, "It doesn't control my life anymore, but after it happened, I was a lot like you; withdraw and always with my guard up. I didn't trust a single person in this world."

"What changed?" Ed wondered, fascinated with Roy's story.

"To tell you the truth, not much has changed." the older one told Ed, "I still don't trust many people, and certainly not anyone enough to get close to them."

"Sounds lonely." Ed commented, realizing he was the exact same way, "It is lonely." he corrected himself.

Roy nodded, "I never had anyone like you and Al have each other. After my parents were gone, I was left all alone in the world."

Ed tried to imagine what it would be like without Al by his side everywhere he went, "That's horrible." he said, closing his eyes.

The raven-haired man stood, walking over to where Ed was sitting. He sat down next to him and put a hesitant arm around the younger one's shoulders. Ed's eyes snapped open as he glanced up to Roy, "Whatever happens, though, you'll always have Al." Roy told him, "And you'll always have me." he added.

Ed studied Roy's eyes for a moment, then felt a small smile turn the edges of his lips upwards. He leaned into the embrace, "Thanks." he whispered, "For everything."

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Aw, gotta love the fluff. So, what do you think Roy does for a living? I wonder... At least the two have something that they can bond over now...how sweet. Mmm, mint chocolate chip ice cream...(runs off to buy more ice cream than she needs). Heh...I love food!


	10. Chapter 10

Aww, say goodbye to little Ed, and hello to slightly taller and not that much more mature Ed! Not a major difference, but he and Roy have finally hooked up! Enjoy!

Ren-Fan-33: Hmm, so you think you know what Roy does? Maybe you do...are you psychic? If you are, then you probably do. Lol, bankrupcy via Ed...I could see that happening. (steals ice cream) Ha! What now? Thanks for revieiwng!

Twin #2: Whoo! Food! I officially love you...even though I don't know who you are...lol. (looks at snack food) I'm going to get fat between this and the stolen ice cream...heh, thanks for revieiwng (and for the food)!

PsycoNeko15: Heh, I could spend that much on anime...does that count? I'm not a girly-girl, per say (I despise shopping unless it's for anime). You'll find out what Roy does shortly...thanks for reviewing!

maria: Roy and Ed are quite the pair. Heh, at least they have something in common now! Thanks for reviewing!

darkraven89: Mint chocolate chip ice cream makes the world go 'round! Thanks for reviewing!

million-tears: Fluff is always good once in a while. Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Fluff is good (in moderation; too much and...well, you know). Incapable of writing fluff? Nonsense! I'm sure you can to some extent...maybe not (I really don't know). Thanks for reviewing!

A/N: 4 years have passed since the last chappy. That would make Ed 15, Al 14, and Roy...hmm, guess we never established an age for him. How old is he in the series? Eh, let's just make him...25? Is that really off? I dunno.

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Roy smirked as his boyfriend attempted the transmutation once more. Ed growled in frustration, looking to Roy, "I'm glad someone thinks this is funny. It was working perfectly fine until you came out here."

Roy's smirk only widened, "Is that so? Guess I'm just bad luck." he said, shrugging, "Though, someone with real skill wouldn't have to worry about something like luck."

"Screw you!" Ed spat back and slapped his hand to the ground once more. A small blue light appeared around the transmutation circle Ed had drawn on the ground. Very slowly, a small statue arose from the ground in the middle of the circle; a perfect replication of the dark-haired man himself.

Roy frowned, "It's missing a head." he noted.

Ed turned, a grin on his face, "No, it's not."

Roy blinked, "Well, that's a bit uncalled for." he said.

Ed stood, picking up the small statue, "Not for someone who says I have no skill." he informed the bastard he called his boyfriend.

The older one smirked again, "I didn't mean it, but you always make better transmutations when you're full of emotion. Since anger seems to be the one you're full of the most..." he trailed off, looking down to the angry face of Ed.

"Well, it's certainly not love, now is it?" he asked, turning his gaze away from Roy, "Bastard." The pet name had long since become an unconscious remark, but had also lost any intention of being an insult. It was Ed's version of 'sweetheart' or 'doll'. Roy frowned at the last comment, he hadn't upset Ed that much, had he? He knew the hotheaded boy overreacted a lot and said things he didn't necessarily mean, but that comment was a bit below the belt.

Al walked up to the two, sighing, "Brother, do you always have to pick at every little thing? Roy didn't mean anything by it, and you know it."

Ed shrugged, "I know." he assured his brother, "That doesn't mean I can't make him suffer for it, though."

"I think your normal self is enough of a punishment." Al said, under his breath. He honestly didn't know what attracted Roy to Ed, but whatever it was, it must have been pretty intense to make him stay with Ed after everything the younger one had put him through. He supposed that was what love was all about, though. Al just sighed as he walked inside, leaving the two arguing males outside, _"It's a wonder they haven't killed each other yet."_ he thought.

Ed smirked as his brother (his too-innocent brother) disappeared from sight, "Well, then, now that we've gotten rid of him..." he grinned at Roy, who was smirking right back.

"You know, you shouldn't try to get rid of your brother just so we can..." he was cut off by Ed yanking on his shirt, pulling him down to his much...lower level. Ed had grown a little, but he was still a few heads under Roy. The latter, of course, never hesitating to make fun of him for this.

"I've never heard you complaining before." Ed told him, bringing their lips together in a rough kiss. Roy smirked a little, and wrapped his arms around Ed's back, pulling the younger one closer. Roy wasn't even in the same ballpark as complaining at the moment.

Pulling away, Roy smirked down at Ed, "Well, while you play with your little magic tricks, the grown-ups have to get to work."

Ed glared, pushing the laughing Roy back a little, "I don't see any grown-ups here." he commented, looking around. Of course, leaving himself wide open.

"Well, that's just because of your small stature." he informed Ed, "I didn't expect you to be able to see anyone, as close to the ground as you are."

This time, Ed really was pissed, "Who the hell are you to comment on my height?" he demanded, "I never make jokes about you being freakishly tall!"

Roy had to restrain from laughing, but the chuckle was inevitable, "That's because I'm not freakishly tall. I only look that way to you because you're freakishly short."

Ed showed amazing self restraint by not punching Roy right then and there. Instead, he just pouted, "I'll remember this when we start sleeping together."

That would be a problem, but of course Roy couldn't let Ed know that, "You know, I heard somewhere that memory is tied directly to height, so you might not."

Ed growled, "Maybe if you got your head out of your ass, you would hear right!"

Roy chuckled, "I love you, too, dear." he said, giving Ed a small kiss on his forehead.

"Assface." Ed muttered, looking away as the small bit of affection was given.

Roy sighed, the blonde's comebacks weren't always the best, "I've got to get to work now. Be a good boy."

"I'm not a damn dog!" Ed called after him.

"Stay, boy." Roy said, putting his hand out, "And stay in the yard while I'm gone. Don't want the neighbors calling animal control."

Ed shouted some remark back, but Roy couldn't hear him due to the car door slamming shut and the automobile taking off. He sighed as he whizzed past pedestrians, buildings, and other cars. Everyone seemed so blissfully naive that they could be the next target of a brutal murder or someone's next rape victim. Roy, however, was painfully aware of these possibilities. That was probably because he had to witness the product of them on a daily basis, though. He finally pulled into the garage of his 'work'. It was a joke to call this thing a job, while he did get paid for it (rather well), he never got the luxury of a vacation or a day off. He doubted they even had a dental plan. Four years he had been able to keep his job a secret from Ed and Al, _"How much longer until they find out?"_ he wondered. Ed was becoming quickly skilled in alchemy, and they would come looking for him soon, no doubt. What would happen then, especially when they learned that Roy was knowledgable of the boy's skill? He knew that Ed would never commit such a violent crime as the ones he tracked, but that didn't matter to them.

Roy was a member of an elite police team, composed purely of skilled alchemists. His job was to hunt renegade alchemists, who committed heinous crimes such as murder, rape, and large thefts, and dispose of them properly; meaning he was basically ordered to kill them. Any alchemist that wasn't already on the force was a target, and the most dangerous ones were obviously top priority. Roy had been working on his current case for over three weeks, and he knew exactly where to find the guy, Jim. Jim had committed multiple murders, including several police officers and innocent bystanders. Jim was special, though, he not only killed his victims, but took sick delight in torturing them before hand, making them beg for death before he offered such a sweet release. Personally, Roy couldn't stand the thought of facing this guy, but that was his job.

He entered his office and glared at the papers on his desk, _"Another case already?"_ he thought. True, he was almost done with his current one, but he usually got a couple days of down time to finish up any last minute paperwork before the boss gave him his next assignment. Sighing, he leafed through the papers, bt saw nothing that interested him. At least nothing that he wasn't used to by now; the rape and murder of a young girl as well as the murder of her nanny, who had been watching her, _"Good job, nanny."_ Roy thought, smirking. He knew it was wrong to think like that, but if he didn't; he might just go crazy in that place. He plopped the papers back down on his desk, and headed back out. He didn't see the necessity to come to his office everyday, but it was company policy, so he did it.

"Good morning, Roy!" one of said man's rather attractive co-workers greeted him. Well, attractive to any other guy who liked women. Still, Roy could flirt...

"Morning, Amanda." he said, "Anything interesting on your desk today?"

Amanda blushed slightly, "Nothing I haven't done before. Grand theft auto and a bank robbery."

"Fun." Roy commented, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Murder, murder, rape, and more murder for me."

Amanda giggled, "The boss really loves to give you those cases, doesn't he?"

Roy nodded, "I think he's hoping that one of them will kill me off."

The other alchemist cocked her head to the side, "How would you know?" she asked, then her eyes widened, "Have you seen him or talked to him?"

Roy smirked, "You konw I haven't; no one has." It was true, Roy's boss had never been seen by a single employee. If asked to see him, anyone and everyone was denied acess, and it remained a mystery how he got the orders out and onto the desks or his employees. Roy always supposed it was for security reasons; not all alchemists waited for the fight to come to them. This year alone there had been over 100 attempts to break into the building and kill the occupants. Of course, only a mere 10 of them got through, and they were immediately 'disposed of' by one or more of the alchemists. It was certainly not a major threat, but it was always nice to be prepared.

"Then why would you say that he wants one of the Renegades to kill you?" she wondered. Renegades was the term the employees used for any alchemist that wasn't 'conditioned', meaning anyone who wasn't an employee of their force, called the Underground. Each alchemist was screened thuroughly and had several background checks done before they were admitted into the Underground. The only way an alchemist could become a member was to approach an existing member directly. They were then screened and, depending on the outcome of the screening, were either initiated or killed on the spot.

Roy shook his head; Amanda might be one of the prettier ones, but she sure as hell was dumb as a rock, "Nevermind." he replied, "I've got to go." He didn't feel like trying to explain to her that it was a joke, then have to explain the joke as well.

"Alright, good luck!" she called.

Roy waved a hand in farewell and continued on his way, _"Once more into the brig."_ he thought, and exited the large building into the outside world.

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So, now we know what Roy does. What's up with Roy's boss, though? We all know people who never show their face are never up to any sort of good. More fun next chappy...though, I'm not sure what kind of fun. I'll have to think on that.


	11. Chapter 11

Huh..nothing to rant about (ignores people as they cheer). Yeah, yeah. Anyway, enjoy!

PsycoNeko15: I've encountered a few fics like that. Especially ones where the author doesn't update for months at a time... frustrating doesn't even begin to explain it. Wait...you're not saying my fic is like that, are you? If you are...wow, thanks! Thanks for reviewing, too!

Black Water-Fox: Yay, Roy and Ed! Though, anything beyond kissing will probably have to wait a while...sad, I know. I'll get to it eventually, though, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

Ren-Fan-33: Lol, too bad this Roy wasn't there, he could have taken care of it. Though, Barry wasn't an alchemist, so maybe not... Lol, alright! (munches on ice cream). Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: I'm definitely going to put how they got together in here. It'll be in a series of flashbacks throughout the fic, the first one will be in this chappy. I wasn't about to just jump four years ahead and not do anything with it, lol. Thanks for revieiwing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Hmm, Roy has yet to find out about that, doesn't he? That could be fun to do, though. They are a cute couple. Thanks for reviewing!

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After Roy left, Ed joined his brother back inside, "Al?" he called, not finding the younger one in his room or the living room, _"Where'd he go?"_ Ed wondered, but soon gave up the search, figuring he was in the bathroom or something. He flopped down on the couch and flipped the tv on, _"Boring, boring, more boring, ew..."_ He grimaced as he flipped to a cooking show where the supposed chef was frying up something that resembled a fish in something that resembled milk. He nearly gagged and quickly turned the tv off, _"Stuff melts your brain, anyway."_ he decided, then closed his eyes for a well-deserved nap. He smiled faintly (something he'd become accustomed to over the years) as he remembered food being the thing that had finally driven Ed over the edge from admiring Roy to thinking of him as more than just a guardian. Roy had never really been a father figure, more like an older, protective brother. Besides, fathers couldn't cook the way the dark-haired man could.

_Flashaback_

_"You really eat that stuff?"_ _Roy asked, setting the plate full of 'food' in front of Ed._

_Bright, golden eyes peered up at him, "Of course! How can you _not_ eat takoyaki?" he questioned, seriously wanting an answer._

_Roy grimaced at the objects before him, "To each his own." he muttered._

_"You're just weird." Ed commented, shoving the first octopus snack in his mouth and chewing. His eyes widened as the rich flavor filled his mouth, making it water._

_Roy hesitated, wondering if that was a good thing or not. He'd never made takoyaki before, never having the need for it, and he wasn't exactly a professional chef. He watched as Ed slowly chewed, and raised an eyebrow at the younger one, "Well?" he asked._

_Ed continued chewing not wanting to open his mouth for anything. Still, the genius chef deserved to be complimented for his amazing feat, "IT'S AMAZING!" Ed yelled, spewing pieces of intestine everywhere, including Roy's face. Ed frowned at the loss of flavor, but soon forgot it as he popped another one in his mouth, deciding better than to speak again for fear of losing more._

_"Thanks..." Roy said, closing his eyes as he flicked off the piece that had landed on his cheek, "Gald you like it." He then turned to begin cleaning up, but hesitated, "Are you going to want more?" he asked. He didn't necessarily want to cook more, but knew that he'd get a mouth full from the pint-sized boy if he just went ahead and started cleaning up without offering. Especially if Ed's answer was yes._

_Ed was about to answer something along the lines of 'of course, are you an idiot?' but saw the look on Roy's face, silently pleading him to say no. Ed really didn't know what the older one's problem was with the food, but he had been nice enough to cook this much for him. Ed grinned as he shoved some more takoyaki in his mouth, "Nah, I think I'm good." he replied, munching happily. Roy nodded and began cleaning up, an audible sigh of relief escaping his mouth. Ed continued to eat while watching Roy, finding his thoughts drifting to the dark-haired man. Roy really wasn't a bad guy, in Ed's opinion. He was nice, considerate, always putting the brothers' needs before his. He was everything Ed had never imagined anyone could be. He was the most selfless man he'd ever met while still maintaining respect. All in all, Roy was the perfect role model for Ed, even if he did drink milk._

_Ed frowned, that's all it was, right? Just admiration...It's not like he _liked_ Roy or anything. He wasn't attracted to the older one; besides, he liked girls! Didn't he? Ed had no idea anymore and his head was starting to hurt from thinking about it so much. He shook his head and slipped some more food inside his mouth. He was just thinking on the subject too much; looking too much into it. Besides, as nice as Roy was, no one was perfect. Ed knew Roy had to have some secret that he hid, and he, personally, didn't want to find out what it was the hard way. Ed plopped the last bit of takoyaki in his mouth, _"He's still a hell of a cook, though."_ he thought._

_End Flashback_

Of course, back then Ed had been so insecure he didn't want to admit his feelings to anyone, even himself. Scratch that, he didn't want to admit his feeling to _especially_ himself. Once he had, he found that it wasn't so bad, though he was still a little on guard around Roy. There was still that deep, dark, burried secret that he knew Roy had to have. Though, he was a little more interested to find out what it was than scared now. Giving how wonderful and perfect Roy seemed on the outside, though, he knew the secret was horrible. That was how it always worked. The more carefree and friendly a person seemed, the more terrible their secrets and burdens were. Ed sighed, either way he was sure he'd find out some day. Why not enjoy what time he had left with perfect, unflawed Roy? He wasn't saying the man was a god or anything, he certainly did have his faults (like being a major sarcastic ass), but that was also a part of his attraction.

"Damn." Roy whispered, gritting his teeth in pain. He had been right about where his suspect was, but he had sorely underestimated him. The guy was a lot bigger in person, and a lot smarter than Roy had given him credit for. He thought he had this all in the bag, and did what he always did when he got overconfident and cocky; he played with his enemy. Of course, that tactic only worked if the other one was down for the count, which this big bastard hadn't been. He had caught Roy off guard and planted a fist into Roy's stomach, sending the smaller man flying back to hit the wall of the large warehouse they were fighting in.

The other alchemist laughed, "Come on, now. You're not giving up aready, are you?"

Roy growled at the cocky tone he detected; that was supposed to be _his_ in-your-face attitude. Instead, he was the one sitting on the ground, wiping blood away from his mouth, glaring at the approaching man. The ones that taunted him were better, though. That meant they were either inexperienced or they would let their guard down easier. The silent ones...those were the ones you had to watch out for. Roy shook these thoughts from his head as he turned his attention back to the matter at hand, which was him attempting not to get his ass kicked. He rolled out of the way as a foot came down at his head, and was up in an instant, ready for more. He grinned at the giant that was his opponent. He always liked to save a few tricks up his sleeve, and the fact that he was one of the toughest alchemists on the force was a major one that he had yet to share. He quickly slipped on a glove with his alchemic symol embroided on it in a bright red; very fitting giving that his talent was fire.

The big oaf's eyes flickered to the glove briefly, "So, you're an alchemist as well, huh?" he laughed, "Not that it'll save you. No one can match my power!"

Roy sighed, if there was one thing he didn't like about the loud ones was that their lines were horrible. The conversations he held with some of them while in battle was enough to make him keel over then and there. He just had to laugh at it like he did everything else, which was what he did, "Really?" he asked. He was definitely one of the cocky ones that talked, but unlike the large majority of them, he didn't let his guard down. Well, not usually anyway. He just smirked at the guy, "Looks to me like no one can match your weight, either." Oh yeah, that was perfectly horrible. One of his worst comebacks, but it got the desired effect of the enemy charging at him.

Roy dodged the barrling body and turned to watch as the big guy lost his balance for a second. This was as good an opportunity as ever, he supposed, and raised his hand. A second later he snapped his fingers, igniting a spark and setting the room ablaze. He heard the pained screams of his unworthy opponent as the giant man roasted in the searing heat. Roy shielded his eyes and gazed into the flames, squinting to see the still, life-less form of the other alchemist. He grinned, it was always easier with alchemy.

Limping slightly, Roy got into his car and drove the short distance back to his office. Once inside, he plopped down on the couch and grabbed the papers off his desk, pressing a button on the underside of said furniture. Soon after, a small girl with glasses and long black hair came running in, "Yes, sir, how can I..." she trailed off as she got a good look at Roy, blood and bruises covering his face as well as a ripped shirt, revealing bloody claw marks on his chest and shoulder; the alchemist had apparently perferred brute force over his own powers. Gina, Roy's personal secretary, gasped, "I'll be right back, sir."

Roy nodded as he started sifting through the papers for his next case. Each of the Underground's alchemists had their own personal secretary that was assigned to them. They were there for the pure purpose of tending to their alchemist's wounds after a hard battle. Roy's assistant was fairly new, but she seemed to know what she was doing, which he was thankful for. His last one, whom he had grown quite attatched to, was killed by one of the Renegades that Roy was tracking. Roy smirked, he had never heard someone scream so loud as when he finally caught the bastard. He then sighed as he realized the hardest part of his job was yet to be completed; paperwork. Roy loved fighting, he couldn't find a bad thing about it. He loved the rush he got when the odds were against him, and he loved the feeling of complete control over the other alchemist when he was winning. The best, though, was the feeling of satisfaction he got when he finally caught someone after days or even weeks of searching for them. Paperwork, however, was one of his greatest hatreds. He simply despised the thought of sitting down at a desk and filling out papers for hours on end when he could be out doing actually useful things.

Gina reappeared a few minutes later, arms filled with bandages, disinfectants, and who knows what else. Roy chuckled to himself, she might know what she was doing, but she certainly did overdo it. He supposed, though, that was better than doing a half-assed job. She quickly shed him of his jacket and shirt and began pouring rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab. She started at his chest and worked upwards, cleaning each scrape and scratch. He hissed as the liquid hit a gash on his cheek, and Gina had to force herself not to pull away, "Sorry, sir." she said, quickly, but kept cleaning his wounds.

Roy smiled softly, "No problem." he said, sighing as she finally put the vile stuff away and taking out some bandages.

"How do you explain these marks to your wife?" she wondered. It was company policy that no one ever spoke of their occupation to their family or friends, for securtiy reasons. Roy had never had a problem with it before Ed and Al arrived since he kept pretty much to himself, but it really had been hell keeping it a secret from them.

He grinned, "Well, I'm just so good that I never have to worry about her seeing any marks." he said, cockily. It was Roy's own policy that he kept everyone at work oblivious to his home life. It was just easier and safer if he kept those two worlds seperate.

Gina giggled a little, "It's true, you hardly ever come in here looking like this." A few moments passed of the two saying nothing until she finally finished his last bandage, "All done!" she stated, smiling at him, "Anything else you need?"

Roy just shook his head, "Not unless you'd like to fill out my paperwork." he said.

This earned him a laugh from the young girl, "Sorry, sir, I don't believe I'm qualified."

Roy sighed, "Lucky." he muttered.

She smiled, a little sympathetically, and stood, "Well, if that's all, then I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

"Bye, Gina." Roy said, closing his eyes for a second as she exited the room. He laid back on the couch, stretching out and wincing, _"I'm gonna be sore in the morning."_ he thought, not looking foward to waking up. First, though, he had to get home and past Ed's inevitable questions. After a moment, he found the energy to stand up and put his tattered clothes back on. Still limping, Roy made his way to the elevator, endlessly greatful for the invention right now; it would have been hell if he had to walk down who knows how many flights of stairs to get to the lobby. He nodded to the secretary in the main lobby on his way out and got back in his car once again. He kind of wished the company provided a driver because he would have liked to have passed out right about then, but it was to no avail. Of course, his own driver wasn't allowed on the premise, so he was left with only the option of driving himself.

Fortunately for him, Roy's work wasn't dreadfully far away and he was home in 20 minutes. Now, he only had one other obstacle before making it to the sweet release of sleep; that obstacle being Ed. With any luck, the younger one would already be asleep and Roy could easily make it to his room, undetected. Ed still slept upstairs with Al, so most of the time Roy could get in under the blonde's radar since his own bedroom was downstairs. However, some nights Ed waited up for him and was found sitting at the island in the kitchen, which you had to pass through to make it to Roy's bedroom. Silently entering his home, Roy was greatful he had decided against buying a dog; that would have proved to be a fatal error in sneaking in late at night. He passed by the living room, giving it only a glance to see that Ed was asleep on the couch, a book spread out across his chest, mouth open, snoring. Roy smirked and went over to turn the light out of his face and place a small kiss on the younger one's forehead. He knew these actions wouldn't wake the sleeping boy. If there was one constant truth about Ed, it was that he was a heavy sleeper. Covering the light-haired one up with a throw that he kept on the back of the couch, Roy stood from his kneeling position and made his way to his own bedroom.

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Aww, how sweet. Jeez, this chappy took a while to type up. Huh...well, hope you enjoyed it!


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry I didn't update yesterday...had a lot of crap to do last night. Anyway, enjoy!

yaoifan555: I try to update as much as I can, and I'm usually pretty on top of it. If I don't update, just bug the crap out of me and I will, lol. Hmm, perhaps I'll try to avoid using the word 'throw' from now on, then...heh, that _would_ be funny, though. Poor Ed, he wouldn't know what to do...Thanks for revieiwng!

Twin #2: Roy's job is fun...wish I had a job like that. Whoo, fudge! I'm definitely going to get fat from all the baked goods...Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: He's a tough guy, he'll bounce right back like a little rubber ball. Well, I can't imagine Ed would be too happy about Roy lying to him all this time...what's more, it will completely come back to bite him in the ass when certain people find out that Ed knows...Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: I figured I owed it to my lovely readers to give them some kind of fight scene since I cheated them out of one with Ed at the orphanage. Hehehe, I was just trying to think of the weirdest food that Ed could eat, and when I think of weird, naturally I think of...Kanone, of course! Thanks for reviewing!

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Golden eyes snapped open as a small groan escaped the young boy on the couch, _"Damn, sleeping on the couch...bad idea."_ Ed told himself. He stretched his stiff muscles and sat up, cracking his neck. He had fallen asleep reading, waiting for Roy to come home, _"Bet that lucky bastard got to sleep in his own bed."_ Ed thought. Though, it was partially his own fault for staying downstairs, but the details weren't important. Ed could find a way to blame this on Roy, so he would. Convinced that it was the older man's fault that he was sore (there's no good word to put in here; would you have perferred stiff?), Ed got up determined to wake Roy from his own peaceful slumber. If the older Elric wasn't at peace, then Roy didn't have a chance in hell.

Padding his way out to the kitchen, Ed saw that Roy had once again ruined his fun by already being awake. The blonde yawned and Roy glanced at him, a little startled since he hadn't heard him enter the kitchen, "Good morning." he said, smirking, "Sleep well?"

"Bastard." was Ed's only reply, "Why did you let me sleep on the couch? You have to know how uncomfortable that thing is." he said, waiting until Roy took the hint to pour him some coffee, "Rich bastard like you and you can't even get decent furniture?"

Roy frowned, "I didn't pick that out." he informed Ed.

The younger one snorted, "Then why the hell did you keep it? Besides feeling like a block of cement, it's got a horrible pattern."

"My mother bought it." Roy said, a little bitterly.

Ed opened his mouth and closed it a couple times, "Oh." was all he said. Deciding a change of subject was in order, the younger one noticed bruises covering Roy's face, "What happened to you?" he asked, slightly concerned. He had never seen Roy beaten up so badly.

"It's nothing." Roy assured him, finally pouring a mug of coffee and setting it in front of the boy.

Ed glared slightly, "Like hell it isn't. Your face is one big bruise!" he told the older one.

"Nothing for you to worry about. Just a rough day at the office." Roy said, a weak attempt at a joke.

It did nothing but deepen the creases in Ed's forehead, "Roy, I want to know something, and I want an honest answer out of you."

Said man sighed and glanced to Ed, their eyes locking. He knew that it would happen some day; Ed would find out everything. He knew it was inevitable, and there was no sense in beating around the bush, "What?"

"What do you do?" Ed asked for what felt like the millionth time, "What kind of job do you have that puts you in this kind of danger?"

"I'm not in any danger, Ed. I'm a big boy, I can take care of myself." he smirked, "Unlike some people in this room."

It came as a serious shock when Ed didn't blow up and freak out on Roy for that comment. In fact, his worried expression didn't change the slightest bit, "I'm serious Roy, I want to know what you do that has you coming home looking like this."

Roy swallowed hard, hating the almost desperate, begging tone he heard in Ed's voice. He went back to his previous thoughts of not putting this off any longer, and nodded, "Alright." he finally said, "I'll tell you."

Al's eyes darted open as Ed slammed the bedroom door shut. Their identical-colored eyes matched for a brief second, Al's full of confusion and Ed's of...what was that Al saw in his brother's eyes? Pain? Betrayal? Or was it simply hatred? Al couldn't tell, but guessed it was a mix of a whole bunch of emotions. A second of silence passed between them before Al spoke the word that Ed had been waiting for; the one he had been expecting, "Brother?"

It wasn't such a simple question as it seemed. Al was asking him what was wrong, why he was so upset, _"Maybe because that bastard lied to me. This entire time he's been lying!"_ Ed thought. To think he ever trusted him, to think he ever let that bastard touch him. Ed growled deep in the back of his throat, which in turn made Al back away a little.

"Brother?" came the question again, concern and worry lacing the younger one's voice.

Ed shot a look at Al, not in the mood to answer any questions. All he wanted to do right now was beat Roy's face in, but didn't see that as an option. It's not that he couldn't, though after what Roy told him he might be a little hesitant to try, but Roy could very easily call Winry back. As much as Ed despised the man living here, he refused to go back to the orphanage, if only for Al's sake. Ed looked once more to his younger brother, "I'm not in the mood, Al." he informed the still-confused one. Al watched as Ed flopped down on his bed, burrying his face in the pillow. He wasn't sure, but he thought he heard very faint crying coming from the older one. Wondering what Roy had done or said to upset Ed this badly, Al got up from his seat on his bed and made his way downstairs.

When the younger Elric reached the kitchen, he saw Roy sitting at the small island in the middle of the room. He had his head in his hands like he had just done something wrong or made a really huge mistake. Al hesitantly sat across from him, "Roy?" he asked, hoping he didn't get the same reaction as he did with Ed.

The raven-haired man glanced up to the innocent face of Al, "Yeah?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper. Of course, he had expected Ed to go straight to Al and tell him how Roy had been decieving them and lying to them. He didn't expect Al to react the same way and freak out like Ed did, but he knew whatever the younger one wanted, it couldn't be good.

"What happened between you and Ed?" he asked.

"What?" Roy asked, shocked. Ed hadn't told Al? Roy couldn't think of a good reason why. Unless, of course, Ed didn't want Al knowing. If that was the case, then it would be a bad thing for Roy to tell him.

"Brother won't tell me anything and he's really upset." Al said, a frown on his face, "Did you two have a fight?"

Roy chuckled, an empty and sad sound, "More like I was an idiot." he corrected Al, "I thought I could keep it a secret from him, but I should have known better."

"Keep what a secret?" came the next question.

For the second time that night, Roy explained his job, this time to the younger brother. When he was finished, he looked up to Al, "So, I've been keeping it a secret from you both." He had, of course, left out the part about any alchemist being the Underground's target; he didn't need to worry Al or Ed any more than he already had.

Al nodded slowly, still absorbing all of the information, "So, that's why Ed was so upset, because you've been lying to us about everything."

"I didn't want to hurt him or you..." Roy trailed off and looked down,"I just...I just wanted to make sure you both were safe. Keeping you in the dark was the easiest way to do that."

Al saw that Roy was close to breaking down, and quickly went to him. He sat next to him and leaned his head on his guardian's shoulder, an innocent gesture of affection, "I know you only wanted to protect us, and Ed does to. He just..." Al sighed, thinking he had moved past the point in his life when he had to say this, "He just overreacts a lot." Al closed his eyes as Roy wrapped an arm around his shoulders, _"Maybe brother will always be like that, though."_ Al realized.

Roy nodded, finally acknowledging Al's words, "Yeah, he does. I guess he's just like that, though." he commented, mimicking Al's thoughts. The two sat there in silence until Roy shifted and removed his arm from Al's shoulders, "I think I need to go talk to Ed."

"Maybe you should give him some time to calm down." Al suggested.

Roy didn't have much time to think on the subject because his phone started ringing. He walked over to its place on the wall and answered, "Hello?" His eyes widened slightly as he realized who was calling him, "No...Yes, sir." he said, "Of course, I'll be right there. Goodbye, sir." He hung the phone up and turned to Al, "Guess I'll give him time to calm down after all." he commented, "I've got to go. I should be back before too long, though, and I'll start on dinner."

"Maybe you should make Ed some more takoyaki." Al suggested, "He wouldn't stop talking about it for days."

Roy smirked, "Maybe I'll do that." he said, then headed towards the door, "Just don't let him trash my house." he called to Al.

"Okay!" Al called back, waving. After the door closed he lowered his hand and sighed. He wasn't quite sure, if Ed really did decide to destroy the house, that he could stop him.

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Nothing too terribly exciting happened besides Ed getting pissed and Roy and Al sharing that little father-son moment. That's all that was, too, nothing like what's between Roy and Ed (or, at least what _was _between Roy and Ed). Next chappy interesting things will happen, though. We'll find out who called Roy, and why. Other things will happen, too, I'm sure. Maybe Al will talk some sense into Ed (not likely...).


	13. Chapter 13

Hmm...mystery man on the phone...who is it and what does he want with dear Roy? And, of course, can Al talk any sense into Ed? Not likely...that boy's about damn senseles...Anyway, enjoy!

Ren-Fan-33: Ick...homework. Evil stuff...Heh, I don't think even Roy knows what's going on with himself...Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Heh, bad Roy! (smacks with a newspaper) He deserved that...upsetting poor Ed. Thanks for reviewing!

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"Brother?" the timid voice of said boy's younger brother asked. It was no longer asking if he was alright, now it wanted something different, and Ed knew just what it was.

"What?" the muffled reply came, muffled since Ed currently had his head burried into his pillow, trying to block out the world. He couldn't ignore Al forever, and knew that questions and talking would have to happen sooner or later. He opted for sooner simply because he wanted to be asleep later and knew if they didn't talk now, Al would bring it up again just as he was trying to fall asleep. Not that he wasn't doing that exact thing now, but it was only because he didn't want to be awake, not necessarily because he was tired.

"Can we talk?" Al asked, entering the room and sitting on his bed, facing Ed.

The latter sighed and turned over in his bed, "It's not your problem Al, it's between Roy and I. You don't need to get involved with it." Ed told his younger brother.

"It is my problem, though, brother." Al objected, "I have to live here, too, and I don't want you and Roy fighting."

"Maybe we wouldn't be if he wasn't a lying, insensitive jerk." Ed muttered.

"He's not!" Al said, desperately. Ed gave him a look, and he thought about what he had said, "Okay, he did lie, true, but he only did it because..."

"Because he wants to protect us. Yeah, I know." Ed finished for him, sarcastically, "I don't care why he did it. The fact remains that he lied to me and I should have never trusted him; it was a big mistake." He said the last part a little sadly, as if regretting ever trusting Roy. Ed had never trusted anyone save Al after his house burnt down and he lost his mother. Then Roy came, and Ed thought he finally found someone he could trust again, _"He's just like the rest of them, though."_ Ed thought, closing his eyes.

"Why can't you understand that he was only trying to keep us safe? He only did it because he cares." Al said, still trying to reason with his brother.

"Why are you taking his side?" Ed asked, opening one golden eye to look over at his brother.

"I'm not. I just...I don't want to see you upset, and I know fighting with Roy upsets you. So, I'm trying to help fix it so everyone can be happy again." Al confessed.

Ed snorted, "Happy? I haven't been happy for as long as I can remember."

"That's not true. You've been happy here and you know it. I know you might be afraid to open up to Roy, but..."

"I'm not afraid of anything." Ed cut him off, "Certainly not that bastard. I'm just pissed at him and don't see why I should pretend like I'm not."

"You can be angry, Ed, that's alright, but you should be unreasonable about it. Roy's really sorry that he lied to you. He was only doing what he thought was best."

Ed turned over in his bed to face away from Al, "I'm not being unreasonable." he objected, and closed his eyes once more, trying to deny the fact that Al might be right.

Al sighed and laid down as well, staring at the ceiling. He knew Ed had heard everything he said, and probably even agreed with most of it. His brother was stubborn, though, and it would take him a while to admit that Roy hadn't purposely lied to hurt him, _"At least he's not destroying the house."_

Roy knocked softly on the door of the man that had called him. He didn't know for what reason a man of such high regard would want to speak to him, but he wasn't about to say no. He only hoped it wasn't anything bad, _"Maybe he's been so happy with my work he wants to offer me a raise."_ Roy thought, smirking. It wasn't that he needed the money, but it was a symbol of recognition among the workers there; a sort of scale. The more you got paid, the better an alchemist you were (at least in the boss' eyes), and the higher up you were on the scale.

"Come in." the voice on the other side of the door said. This man was sitting firmly on top of that scale, and not budging for anyone. He was by far the most powerful alchemist in the Underground, and the most powerful Roy had ever seen. Everyone was intimidated by him, and he got paid at least twice as much as anyone else there. Roy had no idea what he did with all the money, but could only imagine he owned quite a few tropical islands.

Roy opened the door and stepped through, closing it and turning to face the man behind the large wooden desk, "You wanted to see me, sir?" Roy asked.

"Ah, Mustang, yes. Come in, I'd like to have a word with you." Mr. Wright said.

Roy swallowed and obliged, sitting down, "What's the problem, sir?" he asked. He could tell by the tone in his superior's voice that the news wasn't going to be good.

"A fellow worker here at this fine company reported some strange sightings to me a couple days ago." Mr. Wright informed Roy, a knowing smile on his face.

"Strange sightings, sir?" Roy asked, knowing exactly where this was going.

Unfortunately, Mr. Wright wasn't one to beat around the bush, "You know what I'm talking about, Mustang. I've gotten reports of an alchemist living at your residence that isn't you. Care to explain?"

"Mr. Wright, sir, I..." Roy trailed off, what exactly could he say in his defense? There was another alchemist living at his house, and lying wasn't an option.

"You're a very skilled man, Roy, and I would hate to lose you." he told the younger man, "I'll turn a blind eye as long as you get the problem taken care of."

Roy's boss was ruthless, he knew, but this wasn't even thinkable, "I...He's only a kid, harmless." he said, defending Ed in any way he could.

"Harmless kids turn into the men and women you hunt every day. Unless he is either taken care of or initiated, I will have no choice but to consider him, and you as well, Renegades."

Roy froze at hearing this, "Sir, please..." he began, but was cut off.

"I cannot make exceptions... for anyone."

Roy knew what he was talking about. It hadn't happened when he was here, but he'd heard stories (the older alchemist had been in the Underground for many years prior to his arrival). A few years before he arrived, it was discovered that Mr. Wright's wife was a Renegade. The man himself was oblivious to this fact, but when he confronted his wife, she confessed to it. He gave her a chance to become a part of the Underground, but she refused, saying she'd rather die. He got the orders the next day to take care of her, and she was dead that night. Roy knew that Ed would be killed if he didn't cooperate, and he would not allow that. The black-haired man stood, "I'll take care of it, sir." he assured his boss.

"Make sure that you do." A quick nod dismissed Roy and he turned and left the office. He wasn't sure that Ed would cooperate, in fact there was a big chance that he wouldn't. That wasn't information that needed to be shared with Mr. Wright, though.

Returning home, Roy shrugged his coat off and glanced around the house. It was late, so he assumed both Al and Ed were asleep by now. Roy sighed as he thought back over his conversation with his boss. He needed to talk to Ed as soon as humanly possible, but didn't want to run the risk of pissing Ed off even more so by waking him up. He did notice, however, that his house wasn't destroyed, which meant that either he wasn't as pissed as he seemed or Al just kept a good eye on him. Whatever it was, Roy was glad he didn't have to spend the next four hours doing damage control.

Making his way out to the kitchen he saw a blonde boy sitting at the small island in the kitchen, holding a cup of coffe. Roy smirked, "Coffee at this time of night?" he asked, motioning to the cup.

Ed's head slowly looked up at him, tears streaming down his face. He didn't even try to come back with anything, just looked at Roy with begging, pleading eyes. Roy knew exactly what had happened, and he immediately went to the younger boy, encasing him in a hug. Ed started crying softly, burrying his face in Roy's soft shirt, "It wsa so horrible." he whispered.

"Shh. I know." Roy whispered, his heart breaking for the poor boy, "It's okay."

Ed shook his head, "It's not...how long will this...keep happening?" he asked in between tears, "It was so...so real."

Roy pulled back to look at Ed, "You want to talk about it?" he asked. Ed just shook his head no. Of course he didn't, he never wanted to talk about it. Who would? Roy knew if he had these reoccuring dreams of the night he was raped, he wouldn't want to talk about it. He pulled Ed back into a hug and softly kissed his forehead, "I'm sorry." he whispered, "That I lied to you."

"I know." Ed told him, when in truth he had said so much more. He said he understood why Roy did it, and even if he was still pissed, it would be alright eventually. Roy remembered the first night that Ed had had one of these horrible nightmares. It was also the night he found out such a horrible thing had happened to Ed.

_Flashback (at this point, Ed and Roy aren't together yet)_

_Roy awoke to screaming. It wasn't so much screaming as it was yelling, protesting, almost begging. Concerned, he quickly got up out of his bed and made his way upstairs to Ed and Al's room. Opening the door, his gaze immediately snapped to Ed's bed, where the sounds were coming from. The older brother was tossing and turning in his bed, "Not again...get away...stop!" he yelled. Al was at his side, trying to wake him, but it was to no avail as it only seemed to panic him further; as if Al was the person in his dream, holding him down._

_"What's wrong?" Roy asked, concern and worry in his eyes._

_"He's having another nightmare." Al explained before turning his attention back to his brother, "Ed, wake up!" he said, shaking the other boy a little._

_All of a sudden, golden eyes darted open and Al jumped back to avoid the fist at his head that he knew was coming; this had happened many times before. Ed sat up and stared at Roy and Al with wide, frightened eyes until recognition set in and he realized he was safe, at home, not being raped in an alley. Then, the memories cam flodding back as they always did and a couple tears started to fall from dull, golden eyes. _

_Roy frowned and sat down next to Ed, who flinched a little at the closeness, "It's alright, Ed, it's just me." he whispered, "Are you okay?"_

_Ed said nothing, and Roy looked to Al for an answer as to what caused the nightmare, "Ed..." Al started, but couldn't finish. He couldn't bring himself to speak of the horrible things that had happened to his brother; not when he still felt partially responsible. _

_Roy nodded and stood, patting Al's head, "He'll be okay, right?" he asked, not sure if it was okay to leave the two alone._

_Al only nodded, "At least for tonight." he said, sadly, pulling Ed into a hug, which the older one leaned into._

_Roy stood from the older brother's bed and exited the room, heading straight to the nearest phone. He quickly dialed a number and waited for a response, "Yes, Winry? Hi, this is Roy." he answered her questions about how Ed and Al had been, then got to the point, "About Ed's nightmares..." he began, but needed to go no further. Winry knew exactly what he was talking about, and filled him in on what had happened, "He was...I see...Thank you, you too. Good night." He hung up the phone and looked back towards Ed and Al's room. He never knew something like that had happened to Ed, and suddenly understood and respected the boy a lot more. Anyone who could make it through that and come out like Ed did (or at least how he was now) was someone Roy could admire. He knew he himself had had a hard life thus far, but nothing that horrible. The hardest his life had ever been impacted was his parents dying in that car crash, and though he had been devestated, he knew that Ed had been through the same thing and so much more. He vowed not to give the brothers (either of them, Al had been through so much as well) such a hard time about things. With that decided, he headed back to bed. _

_End Flashback_

A lot had changed about Ed that night in Roy's eyes, and it was at that point that he started realizing he wasn't just a whiny kid that talked about knowing all the hardships of life. He really did, because he had lost nearly everything; his parents, his innocence, his childhood, any chance at a normal life. Roy looked down at Ed, who was leaning against him, snoring softly. Roy smirked and lifted the boy into his arms, carrying him back upstairs. He needed to talk to Ed desperately, but right now he wouldn't wake him for the world.

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Aww, more fluff. Well, a little anyway. Man, poor Ed...he really can't get over that. At least he's got Roy! Hmm, I wonder if Ed will agree to becoming part of the Underground or not. There could be a lot of trouble if he doesn't...hehehehe. coughs Anyway, that's all for now!


	14. Chapter 14

Jeez, I haven't updated this one in forever, either. I've really been slacking...heh...enjoy!

flame-alchemist-x: Well, at least he had someone to go to. Heh, and at least Al didn't get knocked upside his head (gotta watch out for those flying limbs).Hmm, I don't know...will he? Things may happen to make him not so happy with the Underground, but I don't know...Heh, you get some sleep (I need some, too...yawn) and thanks for reviewing!

windchaser90: Well, angst makes the world go 'round! I know, I say that about almost everything, but you can't keep an entire planet moving with just a few things, now can you? Thanks for reviewing!

Twin #2: And it only gets worse! Of course it does, did I not put angst as one of the genres (wait...did I?) Hope so...heh...ooh, cake! You know, eating all this junk food, I've actually lost weight. Lmao, where's the logic in that? Who knows...thanks for reviewing!

million-tears: I go through phases of inspiration where I'll update like crazy and then slack then update...I think I'm slacking now. I'll try to get the next one up faster:). Thanks for reviewing!

Ren-Fan-33: Hmm, will they get to talk? Or will other things come up? Hehehe, knowing me, it'll be the latter (I just can't have them be happy for long). Angst and fluff is a very delicate cycle...that I've shredded to hell (sigh). Oh well, it seems to work (you're addicted, aren't you? lol). Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Not after what's about to happen, he won't. Mwhahahaha. Thanks for reviewing!

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It was the next morning and golden eyes opened lazily to a smiling younger brother. Ed groaned and turned over, "How can you be this awake this early?" he questioned the other.

Al rocked back and forth on his heels, "Oh, I don't know..." he said, a mischevious smile on his face that Ed couldn't see, but could hear in his voice.

The older brother glanced at the younger over his shoulder, "Did I miss something?" he wondered. Al was _way_ too happy for an ordinary day.

Al bit his bottom lip, grinning slightly. He didn't know how, but Ed always forgot this day, without fail, every year. Finally, he nodded, "Yep." he confirmed, "Well, you haven't missed it entirely, but you are missing it right now."

Ed raised an eyebrow at his brother's antics, "And what may 'it' be exactly?" he wondered (no dirty thoughts!).

Al snickered, "Our birthday!" he yelled, throwing confete over Ed's bed. The latter's eyebrow twitched at the bright colored paper, now lodged in his hair as well as everywhere else (I give up...have all the dirty thought you want). Al frowned, "What is it?" he asked.

Ed sighed, laying back down, "You know there's a reason I try to forget our birthday every year."

Al frowned, "I know, brother, but I thought...maybe this year would be different since we're not living in the same house, and we don't have all those reminders of him..."

Ed shook his head, "The reminders aren't what does it, it's the memories." he told Al, "And those won't disappear no matter how hard we try to forget." Ed knew, perhaps better than anyone in this world, that memories were the hardest thing to get rid of when you didn't want them, and the hardest to keep when you did.

"I don't want to forget him, though." Al objected, taking a seat at the foot of Ed's bed, "I want to remember him because if I don't...then he might really be gone."

Ed smirked, "So, we keep on remembering because it would hurt too much to forget?" he asked. Al only nodded, but they both saw the irony in that; it may hurt to forget, but it was unbearable to remember. Still, memories came and went as they pleased, not caring whom they were hurting by doing so.

"Maybe, though, we can make new memories here." the younger Elric suggested, "Maybe this day can be about our birthday and not just the day that dad..."

"Don't." Ed cut him off, gritting his teeth, "If we're going to make new memories, then we don't need to dwell on the past." In reality, he just didn't want to hear his younger brother say those words, that their father had been killed. Their mother always covered it up, saying that he died from a heart attack, but Ed knew the truth. He didn't know who, but someone had killed his father. He looked at Al, who knew nothing of this horrible truth, and didn't need to. As far as Ed was concerned his brother was better off naive of all the pains and realities of this world. He couldn't protect him from everything, but he would try his hardest to protect him from the big things.

A grin lit up Ed's face as he stood, finding energy from some unknown source, "Brother?" Al asked, startled at the change in attitude (can someone say pms?).

"Huh?" Ed turned back to his brother, "Well, come on Al!" he said, "If we're going to make new memories, we don't need to dwell on the past. So, let's go make new memoreis of Roy baking us a birthday cake!"

A small smile crossed Al's lips as he stood to join Ed, "I should have known it was something to do with food." he commented, "You know, Ed, I'm suprised you're not a lot fatter than you are."

"Fat?" Ed repeated, "Hey, I'm not fat!" he yelled, chasing the now-running Al into the kitchen.

"Nice to hear you're awake." Roy said, already in the kitchen and getting out cake-baking materials.

Ed grinned and walked over to the cooking man, "Good morning to you, too." he greeted, peering around the other one.

"Morning? It's almost noon." Roy commented, walking to the fridge to grab a couple of eggs.

Ed frowned slightly, "It's not my fault, I couldn't sleep last night."

Roy lost his smirk and patted Ed's head, "I know." he whispered, leaning down to kiss the younger one gently, "It's a new day, though, and you'll have cake to eat soon."

Ed nodded, attempting a smile, but falling short. His breif good mood had been effectively ruined with memories of last night, which led to memories of years ago. A moment of silence passed over the three until Al heard the phone ring, "I'll get it!" he offered.

Continuing with his cooking, Roy glanced to Ed, who had taken a seat at the kitchen table. The dark-haired man contemplated talking with the boy now, _"I can't put it off forever."_ he thought. Then again, what kind of person would he be to ruin Ed's birthday with news like this? He knew, though, that it was just another excuse to put off the talk they needed to have. Roy sighed, finally deciding it would be better to get it over with. He opened his mouth to speak, but a much younger boy's voice filled the air.

"Roy?" Al asked, glancing over from the phone, "It's for you."

Of course it was important. Why wouldn't it be important right as he was about to do something that may be the most important thing he had to do? Wiping the flour off of his hands, he took the phone from Al, mouthing a 'thanks', "Hello?" he greeted whomever might be on the other end.

"Mustang." came the voice of the person he wanted to talk to the least out of anyone right now.

Roy glanced over to Ed and Al, who were currently talking about something or another, "Sir." he said, waiting for the older man to continue with whatever he needed to say.

"Well? Have you talked to him yet?" Mr. Wright asked in an annoyed voice.

"Not quite, sir, I was..." Roy began to explain this phone call was the one thing from interrupting him from doing so.

"You _are_ going to talk to him, correct? I don't want to have a problem."

"Of course, sir, no problem at all." he assured the man on the other end.

"Make sure that it's done."

"Yes..." Before Roy could finish, the line went dead and he hung up the phone, _"There's really no avoiding it now."_ he supposed. Looking back to where Ed and Al should have been, he saw that they were gone, _"Perfect."_ Sighing, he went up to their room to find it empty. The only other place he could think of was outside, so that's where he headed. Of course, when he made his way out there, he only found the younger brother, "Where's Ed?"

"That's what I would like to know." Al replied, crouching down to glance between some bushes. Roy raised an eyebrow and waited for an explanation, "We're playing hide and seek." he finally said.

"Hide-and-seek?" Roy repeated, "Aren't you two a little...old for that?"

"We always used to play it on our birthdays when we were younger before..." Al trailed off, then looked away, "It was the only day of the year mom would let us run off where ever we wanted to. We could go anywhere as long as we were home by dark."

Roy frowned, unsure of how to respond to that. Instead of doing so, he simply got back on track, "I need to talk to Ed about something." he informed Al, "I don't suppose you can just forfeit so he'll come out of hiding."

"He always thinks I'm trying to trick him when I say I forfeit." Al said, _"Though, that's because I am."_ he thought with a smirk.

"Guess I'll just have to help you look for him, then." Roy mumbled, mostly to himself, and joined in the Ed-hunt. After about 10 minutes of searching, Roy gave up and remembered he had a cake that still needed baking. Heading back inside, he saw Ed emerging from the bathroom, "Aren't you supposed to be outside?" he asked.

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Back outside, a black limo pulled up along side the main gate. The two men inside looked at each other, "You sure that's him?" the one asked, looking Al up and down.

The other nodded, "Yeah, he fits the description. Short, blonde, and kind of weird."

The first man chuckled, "Alright, then, if you're sure. Let's do it."

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Ed grinned, "Well, if I was outside, then Al would find me." he explained.

"I see." Roy said, slowly, "You realize that isn't a very fair way to play the game?"

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The two men approached Al, who was staring up a tree, trying to decide if that was a branch or his brother's leg, "Excuse me, young man." one of the strangers said.

"Huh?" Al turned around just in time to have a hand holding a cloth cover his mouth. That cloth just happened to be covered in chloraform, and Al quickly collapsed on the spot after a moment of struggling.

"Let's get out of here." the partner in crime suggested, picking Al's now-limp body up. The other nodded and the three disappeared back into the limo.

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Ed stuck his tounge out, "Party pooper." he said accusingly.

Roy just chuckled and shook his head, "Just go get him before he spends the next two hours looking for you." Ed sighed, but complied, turning to run outside and find his brother.

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I put those little breaks in there because all of that was happening at the same time and I didn't know how else to show that. I thought it would get confusing going back and forth between the two scenes without any breaks so...voila! So, Ed and Roy were inside having a nice little conversation while Al was getting kidnapped...I'm sure we all realize why he was kidnapped, but if you don't get it, I'll explain it next chappy!


	15. Chapter 15

Stupid people...(mutters about things). Oh well, that's life! Hmm, it's not quite as bad as these guys', though. And if it is...well...then your life sucks. What? It's true, and you can't get pissed at someone for speaking the truth! I'll shut up now...enjoy!

AngylLayDying: Heh. This may be the first fic of mine you've read, but if you ask anyone who has read any of my lengthy fics, they'll tell you suspense is a big thing with me. I'm addicted to cliffies, too, as I'm sure you've noticed. Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: Hmm, what will they do to him? They do think he's Ed after all...which is interesting why they took him instead of just killing him...Well, if he'd waited another day, then everything would have gone okay; we can't have that! Talk about a nice birthday present, eh? Well, it'll be some _new_ memories...not sure if they'll be better or not...Thanks for reviewing!

Ren-Fan-33: Ooh...hope you feel better! Yep, pity all around for the characters, but you gotta love it. Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: I spend...who knows? I spend a lot of time writing, but I procrastinate a lot, too. I usually will start a chappy then go start another one of something else, then go back and write some more on the first...then write some random oneshot...I seriously think I have ADD. Thanks for reviewing!

A/N: There might be slight oocness coming from the characters this chappy. I'm not sure why, but I'm just not with it tonight, so sorry for any of that!

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Al's eyes slowly opened, and after a second he remembered what happened. Sitting up, he looked around frantically for a familar face, but only saw one man that was partially submerged in shadows, "Who are you?" came the tiny, frightened voice. He didn't know who these people were or why they had taken him, but he did know he wanted out of where ever he was.

The strange man chuckled in a low voice, "My name is none of your concern."

"What do you want?" Al demanded, though in a frightened voice.

"What do I want?" he echoed, "Nothing more than to maintain order."

"What are you talking about?" he wondered, _"What does he mean 'maintain order'?"_

"I think you know exactly what I mean." the older one said, stepping into the light, crimson red eyes peering at the younger Elric, "Don't you, Edward?"

"Did Al come back in here?" Ed asked, entering the kitchen.

Roy shook his head as he looked up, "He wasn't outside?"

Ed mimicked the motion, slightly worried, "Where could he have gone?"

The older one shrugged, "I don't..." he was interrupted by the phone ringing. He glared at it slightly, not wanting to answer it, but got up nonetheless, "Hello?" he asked, annoyed.

"Mustang." said that same voice, "I warned you about disobeying me."

Roy's glare deepened, "What do you mean, sir?"

"You know what I mean." the voice snapped, "You failed to carry out your orders. You know how that looks don't you?"

_"Carry out my..."_ Roy's eyes widened slightly as he realized what had happened to Al, "Sir, wait, I..."

Once again, he was cut off, "I must take any and all precautions to ensure the safety of my employees, and, of course, of my boss." A chuckle sounded in Roy's ears, "If you want your precious alchemist back, Mustang, hand yourself over peacefully."

"Sir, you don't..." This time he was cut off by the line dying.

Roy stared at the phone for another minute until Ed's voice broke through his daze, "Who was it?" he wondered.

The dark-haired man hung up the phone and turned to the smaller boy, "That was...my boss." he said, not wanting to explain what must have happened to Al. Roy shuttered, knowing what they did to the alchemists they captured instead of killing right away. He was being held as a hostage, and Roy knew all too well what happened to hostages when the person in his position didn't agree to their terms. If that happened to Al...Roy shook his head, not wanting to think about it.

Ed studied Roy for a moment, and finally decided something wasn't right, "What did he want?"

Roy hesitated, glancng at Ed for a second, "He..." A sigh escaped his lips, "Ed, I need to talk to you."

The blonde-haired boy froze at hearing this. The last time they had talked, it hadn't ended well, "About what?" he asked, suspiciously.

Roy moved to the island in the middle of the kitchen where Ed had taken a seat, "I...I may have not been completely honest with you before, when I told you about my work." he confessed.

Ed took a second to process Roy's words before standing up, slowly, "You lied to me? _Again_?"

Roy knew he was in deep shit when he heard the quiet tone of the young boy's voice, "Ed, listen to me." Roy began, but the younger one was having none of it.

"I'm done listening to you and your damn lies!" Ed exclaimed, turning around, "I thought you said you wouldn't lie to me anymore." he whispered before giving Roy one last, pained look and running out the door.

"Damn." Roy muttered. Not only had he not been able to explain a thing to Ed, but now both of the brothers were missing. He couldn't leave Ed to wonder around by himself, but he couldn't put getting to Al off, either. Ed's words loomed in his head as he headed out the door, hoping to track down the older brother before he lost him completely, _"I thought you said you wouldn't lie to me anymore."_

_Flashback (This takes place a short time after Roy and Ed got together)_

_"Shut up!" Ed yelled, tears threatening to stream down his face._

_"Ed, will you just listen to me?" Roy tried to reason. He screwed up, he knew, but Ed wouldn't even accept an apology._

_"Why, so you can lie to me some more?" he demanded._

_Roy gritted his teeth in annoyance, but kept his cool for the sake of not pissing the younger one off anymore, "I just want to apologize." he explained._

_Ed glared at him, "Why should I let you?" he asked._

_"What happened?" Al asked, coming into the living room._

_Ed turned to his brother, "This bastard told me..." he trailed off, "Nevermind." he muttered; Al didn't need to know._

_"Brother?" Al asked, looking from the older Elric to Roy._

_"It's nothing to worry yourself with." Roy assured him._

_The youngest one looked to Ed, who nodded his agreement, "He's right." he said, hating agreeing with Roy, but not wanting to worry Al even more._

_"Alright." Al said, unbelieving. He knew, though, that whatever the two were fighting over, they didn't want him to know about it, so he turned and headed back up to his room._

_Roy took this opportunity while Ed was distracted, "I'm sorry." he said, quietly. He knew he had hurt Ed deeply and might not be able to make up for it. He still needed to try, though; Ed didn't deserve to be lied to like that._

_Ed turned, unshed tears making his eyes shimmer, "You should have thought of that earlier." he said, turning to leave. Roy didn't try to stop him; he knew better by now. He sighed as he sat down on the couch, head in his hands. He shouldn't have gone that far, not with Ed; he shouldn't have told him he loved him without meaning it._

_End Flashback_

Roy, to this day, didn't know how Ed knew that he had been lying when he said those three words, but he had called his bluff nearly immediately. Maybe it was just his own paranoia that got the best of him. Whatever it was, he had caught Roy in the lie, and the older one had confessed to it. He hoped in his car and sped off towards town, figuring that was the most likely place that Ed would go.

After almost 30 minutes of driving around, looking for short, blonde boys that would resemble Ed, Roy was about to give up all together. He didn't want to call Winry and ask her if Ed had shown up there, that would only worry her and raise suspicion. He certainly didn't want to be labeled a bad guardian, though he was sure if Winry knew about their (virtually nonexistant, yet still very real) relationship, she would immediately remove Ed and Al from his house. He couldn't say he would really blame her, either, it wasn't as if their being together was normal or accepted by most anyone.

Left with no options other than to wait and hope like hell that Ed came home, Roy turned his attention to the other brother. He knew exactly where they were holding him, and exactly what he would have to go through when he got there. Regardless, though, he sped towards that building he despised the most, ready to meet whatever they would throw at him, head on. If it was the last thing he did, he would get Al back, for the younger one's sake as well as Ed's. No matter what, Roy would be damned if Ed would be all alone in this world.

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Bad, lying Roy! Poor, lied to Ed...Poor Al, too. He didn't even do anything and he gets kidnapped by evil alchemists. That's life, though (at least, that's their life). As I said earlier, if your life is this bad, it sucks...really bad. Hopefully it isn't, though! Umm...next chappy...we'll see if Roy gets Al back, and where in the world did Ed wonder off to?


	16. Chapter 16

Hopefully this fic will pick back up soon, I've kind of lost interest in it at the moment. Hopefully, after I finish a couple of my other fics, I'll be able to put more time into this one. Anyway, enjoy!

Red Kitsune Flames: Heh, that's true. Like Madoka for instance, all she does is get kidnapped (in my fics anyway). Thanks for reviewing!

TaintedReflection: I hope this chappy's exciting, too, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

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Roy approached the large building that he knew as the Underground headquarters cautiously. He walked past the guard, who looked him over, suspiciously, but made no move to stop him. Deciding that the worst was yet to come, Roy continued inside, heart racing with anticipation and just the tiniest bit of fear, not for himself but for Al. The dark-haired alchemist knew he could take care of himself, even against the Underground's toughest (he could at least make it out alive), but if he made a wrong move or got distracted, Al could be dead within seconds. With this knowledge tugging at him, warning him to be careful of what he said and did, he entered the main lobby of the Underground.

"So glad you could make it, Mustang." said that same voice that had brought him here.

Roy turned, glaring at his boss, "Where's the kid?" he demanded. If Al wasn't okay, there was no way these bastards were getting a thing from him.

"Patience, patience." chided the older man, "You'll see him, in time. First, though, I want that." he said, pointing to Roy's glove. Roy cursed himself for having such an obvious weakness, but complied nonetheless. If he didn't go by their rules, they could kill Al in an instant. He tossed the single glove aside and looked back to Mr. Wright, "Good. Now, then..." he snapped his fingers and two men appeared at his side, one carrying a squriming and crying Al, the other carrying a large gun pointed at said boy's head.

"Let him go." Roy said in a stern voice.

Mr. Wright simply chuckled, "We're quite demanding today, aren't we?" Roy said nothing, but just kept his glare on as the brown-haired man continued, "I'll return him, as promised, but in return you must keep up your end of the deal."

Roy continued to stay silent, but gave a short nod. A smug smirk on his face, Mr. Wright motioned to the man holding Al, who promptly let the younger brother go. The latter immediately ran to Roy, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "It's alright, Al, calm down." he whispered, "They didn't hurt you did they?"

Al shook his head vigorously, "No." he replied, clamping his hand down onto Roy's.

"Good." the latter whispered before turning his head back to Mr. Wright, "What is it that you want from me?" he asked.

"You've broken a big rule, Mustang, and you have to suffer the consequences." Roy waited for him to continue with his punishment, "Until further notice, you will be monitored _very_ closely. If I get a single report of you or anyone else in your household performing alchemy, I will not be so forgiving. As far as I'm considered, you are no longer a part of this company, and thus are labeled as a Renegade. We will treat you no differently than the rest of them, and your survival will depend upon your skill." With that said, Mr. Wright turned to leave, but paused and glanced over his shoulder, "Starting now." he added.

Roy knew what that meant, and looked down to the boy at his side, "Al, get out of here."

"What?" the younger one asked, looking up at him confused, unaware of the approahing alchemists.

"Go home and stay there. If you can find Ed, tell him..." Roy trailed off, not sure what to say, but knew he had to think quickly, "Tell him I love him."

Al frowned at the regretful tone he detected in his guardian's voice, but nodded, "You'll be home soon, though, right?"

Roy smiled faintly, sending a glare to the approaching men, halting their progress for a second, "I'll try." he said, unsure of his own words. His thoughts of earlier about being able to hold his own were quickly vanishing as he saw exactly how many alchemists the Underground employed. He noticed that Al was no longer at his side and glanced behind him to see the blonde running out the main doors and heading towards home and safety.

Now, undistracted, Roy turned his attention back to 50 or so approaching men, all ready and willing to kill him. People he considered friends, his co-workers, all of them now advanced on him as if brain-washed into believing that he was the enemy. Though, he supposed they were just following orders, he knew none of them wanted to be in his position right now. Still, he would have liked to tell himself that he wouldn't turn on someone he considered his friend just so he could take the easy way out. However, thinking like that wasn't helping him right now as he noticed a flash of blue light and several spikes being aimed at his head. He quickly ducked them, pulling out a spare glove that he kept with him, stopping several of the alchemists in their tracks. Not a one of them turned and ran, but they certainly hesitated more now that he was armed.

He turned toward the one that had nearly taken his head off and snapped his fingers, sending a blaze of flame towards the unfortunate man and those surrounding him. Seeing that he was distracted, one of the more ballsy men swung their alchemically-enhanced, automail fist towards him, making contact with his chest and sending him flying quite a few feet back. He came crashing against the wall and slid to the floor, wincing as his vision blurred. He looked up to see several of the alchemists starting their movement towards him. Roy shook his head, attempting to clear the spots from his sight and snapped his fingers again, creating a temporary shield of fire around him; long enough for him to stand up and prepare for the upcoming fight.

Once the makeshift shield died away, Roy attempted to dart past a few of the weaker ones, trying to get on the outside of the semi-cirlce the had formed around him. It was to no avail, however, as a meaty hand clamped down on his shoulder, yanking him back in the center of the ring of alchemists. Suddenly, a large, blue-ish crystal peirced his shoulder and he gritted his teeth in pain as the familar scent of blood rose to his nose. He glanced to the current threat, and saw it to be Amanda, the woman he had been flirting with only a few days ago. Her face was cold and emotionless now as she sent yet another ice crystal flying at him, intending to pierce his chest this time. He raised his hand, snapping his fingers just in time to send a stream of flame to meet the ice head on, melt it, and continue back towards his attacker. It hit Amanda in the chest, and sent her flying into a few more alchemists.

Roy realized that there were far too many people here for him to fight, and he knew that he would soon be in trouble as he was already getting tired. He stood up, clutching his injured shoulder and looked around. There were still a good 30 alchemists, ready to take him on, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer in the state he was in. He saw no outs until a miracle happened. The ground began shaking violently all around, though the section he was standing on remained stable. He looked as every man and woman eventually lost their balance and fell into each other, tumbling like dominos.

The only standing man looked around in amazement as everytime one of his attackers attempted to stand, the immediate area around them began to shake, sending them flying to the ground once more. Roy, now realizing the other alchemists were no longer a threat, looked past them to a figure immersed in shadows. The only way Roy knew he was even there was the outline of blue that surrounded his figure, as well as illuminating his eyes in that same eerie blue, emitting pure, alchemic power that must have been the cause of the mini-earthquake. The man grinned, his teeth shining in that same color, "Go." was all he said, but it was enough for Roy. The latter nodded a thanks, and turned to slowly limp out of the Underground, vowing never to return again.

"Stupid Roy." Ed muttered, kicking a stone as he made his way through the streets of the nearly-deserted town. He had been gone for a while by now, and it was getting late. He didn't want to return home, though, not until he was sure Roy was ready to pay for lying to him, and for putting his and Al's lives in danger, _"Al."_ he thought. He had yet to find the younger one, but was sure that Roy was somehow to blame, "Damn him!" Ed shouted at no one and nothing, though it did scare a stray cat into dashing across his path. Ed walked over to the small animal, who had moved from digging in one trashcan to another for some dinner. He scratched behind the fuzzy ears and smirked as the too-friendly feline leaned into the touch.

A shadow loomed over the two, blocking the street lamp, and before Ed could look up, a very familar voice rang in his ears, "Brother?"

Ed's head snapped up to see a very frightened Al watching him, slightly confused, "Al?" Ed asked.

"What are you doing in town? Why aren't you home?" the younger one asked, taking a step towards his brother.

Ed stood, "I should ask you the same thing." he said, smiling faintly, "Where have you been?"

Al started to explain everything that had happened to the best of his ability, ending with Roy's message to Ed, "He said to tell you that he loves you." he finished.

The older one snorted, "Yeah, like I haven't heard that before."

Al looked up, slightly confused, but shook it off, "Brother, I'm worried about him. Those people looked like they wanted to kill him, and there were so many of them." he looked down for a moment, "I know you two might be fighting right now, but Roy risked his life to save me, that should mean something."

The other boy thought over his brother's words, realizing how true they were, "Let's go home, Al." he said, placing an arm around the younger one's shoulders. Al agreed and the two made their way back home. Ed looked down the street, a worried expression on his face. He and Roy might be fighting right now, but through it all he still cared for (perhaps even loved) Roy, and as much as he might scream it at the top of his lungs or think it in a moment of anger, he really didn't want the older alchemist dead.

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Huh, I'm actually a bit suprised I got this done tonight. Anyway, who was that that saved Roy? I dunno...but at least Ed doesn't want him dead, that's a good sign! Guess that's all. Umm...review please!


	17. Chapter 17

Hmm, so...who saved Roy? It wasn't Ed...Well, you'll find out sooner or later. Until then, though, enjoy!

TheScryer: Ah, I hate those moments! Lol, I feel free to put those in my fics because I know that I'll update within a couple of days (save this past chappy due to some problems I've been having). Anyway, here's the next chappy, and I hope to relieve you of that little moment. Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: Nope, not Ed...Heh, I have kind of lost interest in this fic, but it won't stop me from writing _something_. And it must not be all that horrible because you all are still reading it. Heh, he really does mean it this time. Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Entertaining, I suppose that is a good way to describe Roy. Thanks for reviewing!

Ren-Fan-33: Heh, crazy women...Aw, I'd never kill Roy or Al! Ed might be in trouble...jk, jk! Don't kill me! (ducks flying objects). Is the problem you were talking about only in this last chappy or the whole fic, because I did notice what you were talking about in the last chapter. I have no idea why, but I noticed I was doing that in a couple of my fics after you pointed it out (see, you've made me paranoid!). Nah, it didn't sound rude. Thanks for reviewing!

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As soon as Ed and Al entered the door to thier home, the older brother immediately felt that something was wrong. Al looked up to him, "What is it, brother?" he wondered.

"I don't know." Ed whispered, "It's too quiet in here."

"Quiet?" Al echoed, mimicking Ed's action of whispering, "Should it be loud?"

"It should if Roy's home." the taller blonde pointed out (yes, Ed is actually taller than someone!).

"Do you think something happened?" came the next question, a hint of worry in his voice.

Ed shrugged, though he was just as worried, "You did say there were a lot of guys there." His voice showed none of the concern that his wandering eyes did. He scanned over everything in their home, and, seeing nothing out of place, continued on into the kitchen.

"Maybe he just came home and went straight to sleep because he was worn out from fighting." Al suggested, hope masking the doubt he had.

Ed, however, wasn't as optimistic, "If he came home and neither of us were here, do you think he would just go to sleep?" he asked. He then realized that the answer to that question was a resounding 'no', and that it meant that Roy cared a great deal for both of them. He smiled softly and would have to remind himself not to bite his head off when he got home.

The two snuck into Roy's room, quietly, and the younger one frowned when he saw that there was no one passed out in the bed, "He's not here." he said.

_"Thank you, Captain Obvious."_ Ed thought, but shook the snicker off, "Maybe he got held up. I'm sure he'll be home soon." Now that his concern for Roy was put on hold, he turned to his brother, "You're sure you're okay?" he asked, once again.

"I told you, I'm fine." Al repeated, the same answer he had given the other 20 billion times Ed had asked if he was okay.

Sighing, blonde hair flopped up and down as the young alchemist nodded, "Alright." he finally conceeded, "You should get some sleep, though, I'll wait up for Roy."

The tempting pull of sleep was growing on Al, and with those words, he smiled, "Okay." he agreed, whole-heartedly, "Tell him I said thank you, okay?"

"No problem." came the response as a hand went up to wave, "Night, Al."

"Goodnight!" said boy called as he ran up the stairs. Sighing once again, Ed went to the coffee machine to brew a pot of coffee. If Roy did come home, he'd want some of the heaven-sent liquid, that much Ed was sure of. He shook his head, _"_When_ he comes home, not if."_ he corrected himself. He wouldn't believe that Roy could possibly be dead, not until he saw his lifeless body as proof.

He stared at the slow drip of the coffee quicken its pace and fill the pot. The loud ringing of the phone startled him so much that he jumped slightly before walking over to answer it, "Hello?" he asked, wondering who it could possibly be to call this late at night.

"Ed?" the hopeful voice on the other line asked, "Is Al there, too?"

"Roy?" the young boy asked, letting out a sigh of relief, "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm on my way." the familar voice promised, "You're both safe?"

"Yeah." came his reply, "What happened?"

"I'll explain when I get home. Everything." he said, then hung up.

Ed blinked a few times at the now-dead phone line before hanging it only to have it ring a moment later. Confused, he picked it back up, "Roy?"

"Yeah, can you start some coffee for me?" he asked. When informed that it was already taken care of, he smirked, "That's why I love you." he commented before hanging up a second time.

_"Love me?"_ Ed thought, hanging the phone up on his end as well, _"Al said Roy told him to tell me that he loved me, too."_ He took a seat, and proceeded to bang his head into the table, _"I want to believe him."_ he told himself, _"But..."_ He shook his head; thoughts like this weren't meant for 1 in the morning. Yawning, he noticed that the coffee was done, and quickly poured a cup, downing the contents. Given his extreme dislike of milk, Ed had always drank his coffee black, not trusting the so called 'cream' and 'flavored milk'. Sometimes sugar would be acceptable, but right now he was too tired to care. Pouring another cup, he waited until he retook his seat to begin emptying it.

_"Who was that man?"_ Roy wondered as he drove through the streets of the small city, heading home. Roy felt like he had almost seen him before, but couldn't put his finger on it. He was obviously an alchemist from the Underground, but who would be crazy enough to defy their orders there? Especially someone Roy couldn't even remember meeting. He suddenly wondered if he should have left the man there all alone, but figured he had the situation under control. If he could disable that many alchemists at once, then he shouldn't have a problem getting out. At least, he hoped he wouldn't. He felt slightly guilty and very embarrased for simply running away from his fight. If there was one thing Roy believed in, it was finishing what you started, and that meant never backing down from a fight. Still, if he hadn't run, he might very well be dead right now, and he couldn't have that. If not for his sake, then for Ed and Al's.

Sighing, he turned into his massive driveway and pulled up along his house of equally large proportion. He stared at the monumental building for a moment, frowning. He had an expensive house and nice things, but at what price? He had put his, Ed's, and Al's lives in danger and become no better than a traitor and an outlaw. Even if it was to protect the ones most important to him, he had defied his orders of a company he had been with longer than those two boys had been alive. He smirked to himself as he stepped outside into the cold, _"Love does funny things."_ he supposed.

"You're still up?" Roy asked, walking into his kitchen to see Ed about to fall asleep face-first into a cup of coffee.

The blonde jumped at the voice and raised his head to stare at Roy with weary eyes, "Yeah." he said in a sleepy voice, stifling a yawn, "You okay?" Now that he was awake, he saw blood dripping from Roy's shoulder. It wasn't a completely uncommon sight to see the older man banged up every now and then, but this time seemed worse than the others.

Roy tried to smile convincingly, but failed horribly, "I'll be fine." he assured Ed, "Nothing I haven't gone through before."

"What happened to you?" he asked again, now seeing the extent of Roy's wounds as he shed himself of his shredded shirt.

"I got in a bit of a nasty fight." he explained, "It also seems that I've been fired from my job and am now labeled a Renegade."

"Renegade?" Ed repeated, cocking his head to the side, "What's that?"

Roy then realized he had yet to explain everything to Ed, and sat down, taking the boy's coffee and downing the contents. He ignored the glare and mumbling from Ed and got prepared to explain, "A Renegade is an alchemist that isn't employed by the Underground."

"The Underground...is that the place you work?" Ed wondered.

Roy nodded, glad he had at least some common sense, "Yeah, any alchemist who isn't a member is considered an outlaw and dangerous, and must be dealt with accordingly." he recited the motto that the employees there had come to know. Most of them said it in a mocking way, but when it came down to it, they always stuck to it.

"So...I'm a Renegade?" the young alchemist asked. He was inexperienced and far from dangerous, but he was an alchemist nonetheless.

Roy sighed an eventually nodded, "That's what this whole thing started over. It's policy to exterminate all the Renegades. That's what we do, why the Underground exists. Naturally, it's against company policy to hide a Renegade or offer one food, shelter, or anything that could aid them in any way."

"And they found out that I was here, and that started trouble for you." Ed concluded.

Roy smirked and took a seat next to his boyfriend, if that was even the appropriate term for what they were, "You're worth the trouble." he assured Ed, pulling him into a gentle hug.

The smaller one leaned into the hug for a moment before pulling away and frowning, "I don't get it, though, why did they take Al if they were after me?"

"They thought Al was you." Roy explained, simply, "That's what I couldn't explain before when you ran off."

A small 'oh' escaped Ed's lips as he grinned, sheepishly, "Sorry 'bout that."

"You should be." came the unexpected answer. Ed had expected Roy to say 'it's okay, don't do it again' or something along those lines, but certainly not 'you should be'.

"Wh-what?" Ed asked, mouth hanging slightly open.

"You scared the shit out of me, Edward." Roy told him, now scaring the shit out of _him_. For as long as Ed and Al had been living with Roy, he had never once called him by his full first name. Ed knew that Roy was seriously and looked up to him, hesitantly, "I didn't know what to do." he continued, "I spent a half an hour driving around town looking for you, and I came up completely emtpy handed. Don't you dare do something like that again, understood?"

Ed blinked, wondering if it was his turn to talk. Deciding it was, he swallowed hard and nodded, "Yeah." he said. He wasn't about to apologize, he did have every right to be pissed, but he wasn't going to try and defend himself, either as Roy did make a good point. So, he stuck with averting his gaze until Roy decided he wasn't pissed anymore.

"Good." Roy said softly, "Now that that's settled, I think I'm going to bed. You should, too." He stood, tilting the small face up towards his, "Just don't scare me like that again, okay?"

"Okay." Ed whispered, then gasped as Roy leaned his face down and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He whimpered slightly, trying to pull away at first, but gave in as he saw the older one was going no further. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of warm lips upon his until they pulled away and turned up in a slight smile.

"Goodnight." Roy whispered, kissing Ed's forehead and turning to head into his room.

"Night." Ed said, absent-mindedly, still a little blown from the kiss. It wasn't his first, of course, and not even his first with Roy, but it was different from any other he'd ever experienced. It was soft, kind, full of the man's love for him. It was everything a first kiss should have been, and even though Ed had been robbed of that, it was better late then never. A slight blush covered his cheeks as Ed realized he was starting to reallly fall for Roy. At first whenever the two were together in any way, Ed had never realyl felt anything, but just went along with it. He wasn't sure why, but he felt as though he owed Roy something, and knew, deep down, that he would never go any further than Ed wanted. So, he never saw the problem with making him happy.

After this whole incident, though, Ed took a deeper look into his feelings for his guardian. He knew it wasn't the usual father-son love that he felt, and wasn't sure it was love at all. In fact, he was almost certain he didn't love Roy. How could he when he didn't even know what the emotion was? The only love he had ever given or recieved was from his brother and mother, so how was he supposed to know if he was really in love? He'd always heard of love being this great, wonderful thing that everyone wanted to experience, but he had never been into it that much.

Perhaps, though, it was because he had to grow up so fast and never got to live all those small moments that made up a childhood. Like a first kiss, holding hands, a first date at the movie theater; Ed had had none of those things. It was true, he _had_ had a first kiss, but it wasn't a real kiss with someone he legitimately cared for, and by the time he found someone he did feel that way about, even if it was only the tiniest bit, he had already been robbed of too much to take pleasure in something so insignificant as a first kiss.

Ed decided that he definitely didn't love Roy in any way, but that he felt more comfortable around him than anyone else, even Al. With Al, he had to pick and choose what he said. It wasn't that he couldn't tell Al things, but he couldn't tell him _everything_, most likely due to the fact that he wanted to keep his brother as innocent as possible, and that meant keeping things from him. He didn't consider it lying so much as protecting him. He smiled faintly as he realized that was probably exactly what Roy had done with him concerning his job. And why did he keep Ed oblivious to things he thought he shouldn't know? The exact reason that Ed did the same when it came to Al; he cared for him. Though Roy kept insisting that it was love, any maybe it was on his part, Ed knew that he as far from love. He may have missed his childhood, but he was still only 15 years old.

Despite not having the same experiences and knowing much more than any 15-year-old should about certain things, Ed's body still had a lot to go through before he was ready for love. Hell, he hadn't even gotten through puberty yet, he was in no position to be in love. Knowing all this, he finally stood from his seat and headed upstairs. He might not be in love, but he still had a whole life ahead of him to get there.

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I just thought I'd share this with you all. I overheard two of my teachers talking and they were discussing the usage of language in term papers for college. The one teacher said that she was apalled that some kids used the words 'a lot of' in a term paper (which is ridiculous, in my opinion), and that if anything, they should use a more refind word like plethera, which (for those of you who don't know) means 'a lot of'. Anyway, the other teacher was listening to her go on and on about it, and finally said, "I'm just glad they're finally spelling it as two seperate words." I had to keep from laughing at this because it's so true how many people write 'alot' and it kind of makes me cringe. Anyhow...I just thought that was funny. I know, I'm a loser...(sigh).


	18. Chapter 18

Heh, I kind of fell asleep last night around 1 instead of updating the rest of my fics or doing my homework. Turns out I can't do my math homework in 15 minutes before I have to leave for school... Anyway, enough of the ranting. Enjoy!

Ren-Fan-33: Yay, I'm non-repetitive (kind of). Hmm, are you sure they were spelling errors or keyboard errors? I tend to be a decent speller, but not all that great of a typist. (shrugs). Either way...ah, coffee! (dodges)...is it safe now? (pokes head out of hiding spot). You'll see more of that guy this chappy, and he'll be a bigger part of the fic from here on out. Thanks for reviewing!

hello: Sort of? Heh, well, hopefully you'll stay sort of caught up...damn it! You know what? You're freaking right, and I'm an idiot. I changed it already, so it's official that Ed _is_ 15 in this fic (someone else pointed that out as well). Is it sad that my readers pay more attention to the fic than I do? Oh well, at least one of us is, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: O.O...ok...understood, sir! Heh...Hey, no review is a bad review...unless it's a flame, then it's...yeah, it's just bad then. Your reviews certainly aren't bad, though. Yeah, you're right, he's older than 12. I kind of forgot the four years in between when he first came to Roy's and the more recent chapters. Thanks for reviewing!

ironic-humour: Heh, I'm always exhausted, so I'm with you on that. Hopefully I can write you a proper chapter, lol. Hmm, looks like a good review to me, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Did someone temporarily lose thier ability to talk again? Jk, thanks for reviewing!

A/N: I know it's a little late in the game to be changing the rules, but I'm going to alter this fic slightly. It won't be a big change or anything, but I'm going to now officially make it a slight crossover with another anime called Spiral. There will only be one character from that show in here, so you don't need to know a whole lot about it, but I was typing up this chappy and I just thought of the perfect role for one of the characters. You'll find out who it is a little later, maybe even at the end of this chapter, I'm not sure. I guess that's all!

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Roy awoke the next morning to a finger poking his side. He grunted and rolled over, swatting the probing digit away, "Let me sleep." he muttered. He didn't know what time it was, and he frankly couldn't care less. It wasn't like he had a job to get up and go to or anything.

"Sorry, can't let that happen." Ed said, way too cheerfully for this early in the morning.

"Why?" the older man groaned. Besides having absolutely no reason to get up, he was aching from head to toe. His body felt like one big black and blue bruise that didn't want to get up right now.

Ed thought about why he had needed to get Roy up so desperately. The finger stopped poking and came to rest on Ed's chin as he racked his brain, _"Why _did_ I come in here?"_ he wondered. His golden eyes widened, "Oh! You have a phone call." he finally remembered, grinning at the raised eyebrow.

"You seriously forgot that in the time it took to wake me up?" Roy asked, wondering if Ed was suffering from long-term loss of short-term memory all of a sudden.

Ed just shrugged in reply, "Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does." the still-laying-down man turned over in his bed once more, "Take a message."

"The guy said it was urgent." the blonde now recalled the short conversation he had had with the caller.

"Who is it?" Roy asked, sighing at realizing that he wasn't going to get out of not taking the call. It would be a lot less hassle then trying to get the information out of Ed anyhow.

"Ummmmm..." the finger that was resting on his chin began to tap lightly, "I don't think he said."

Sighing once more, this time in frustration, Roy pushed the heavy covers off of him and rose to his feet. He padded out to the kitchen and picked up the phone, "Hello?" he answered in a still-sleepy voice.

"Mustang." the voice on the other line greeted, "It's a pleasure to be talking with you."

Half-lidded eyes full of sleep dust snapped open at the strangely familar voice, "Who is this?" he demanded. He couldn't place the low yet smooth tone of the other man's voice, but knew he had heard it somewhere.

"I'm hurt, I thought you would remember me. After all, I _did_ save your life back at the Underground." This comment left Roy speechless. He now knew who it was, but still had no name to put with the voice, which continued to speak to him, "That reminds me, how is your shoulder?"

Roy glanced to the bandaged wound that had resulted from Amanda's ice crystal, "A little sore." he commented.

The mystery man chuckled at this, "Well, at least you've still got both of your arms. Think, there are some people out there without function of any of their limbs. I do pity them..."

Roy blinked as the other man went way off-topic to feeling sorry for parapalegics, "Yes." was all he had to offer.

A short sigh filled his ears before the almost-haunting voice took its place, "Are you busy today?"

Without thinking, Roy answered, "No." If he had other plans, they could be cancelled for this man. Roy wanted to meet him more than anything right now. Not only to properly thank him for saving his life, but to see what he looked like, and to talk with him. A million questions were floating around in his head for the man, most immediate was what name he should give his savior.

"I'm glad to hear that. Perhaps we could get together a little later." he suggested.

Roy nodded, "Where at?"

A slightly amused chuckle came through the line, "Always straight to the point, aren't you?" After a short pause, he continued, "Alright, meet me in the Village Park in an hour."

"I'll be there." Roy promised, not failing to notice the slight change in the man's attitude. Up until now, the stranger had been carefree and flexible, asking Roy if he was available instead of just telling him he wanted to talk to him. Now, though, he left no room for negotiation and told Roy when and where to be. Hanging up the phone, he barely noticed when Ed started talking to him.

"So, who was it?"

Turning to face the short boy, he shrugged, "I don't know, he never gave me a name." he admitted, wondering why he hadn't just outright asked for one. He got the feeling, though, that if he had, he wouldn't have gotten a straight answer. He hadn't told Ed that someone had saved his life last night, or that he had run away the moment he got the chance. He didn't need to be ridiculed for that by a kid. That, and he felt that he was a role model to Ed; the younger one really didn't have many people to look up to, and as his guardian, Roy felt that it was his responsibility. Certainly running away from a fight you brought on yourself wasn't good role-model behavior, so he kept that one a little secret. Nothing damaging, just something Ed didn't necessarily need to know.

"Sounds kind of suspicious to me." Ed commented, frowning, "So, you're meeting him somewhere?" He had heard enough of Roy's end of the conversation to gather that much.

"Yeah, in an hour. I shouldn't be too long, you and Al will be alright by yourselves for a little while, right?"

Ed knew the older one was keeping something from him, but he also knew that, after the last incident, Roy wouldn't keep anything vital from him. Shrugging it off, he nodded, "No problem, just as long as you're home in time to cook dinner!"

Roy chuckled, "Of course." he agreed.

Olive-green eyes smiled as the mystery man hung up his phone, _"Mustang."_ he thought, smirking. Roy certainly was an interesting character, knowingly harboring an alchemist in his home. He wouldn't have put it past Mustang to have helped the boy, either. He smirked again, deciding he definitely like Roy Mustang. He then turned his attention to why he had called the older man. He didn't know if Roy would go for the idea, but if it was possible, then he could finally rid himself of that annoying Stephen character. The brunette shook his head, _"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."_

Roy was the strongest alchemist he could think of for the job, so naturally he went to him. Besides, he knew Mustang at least somewhat. Even if he had never personally talked with him, he had been able to observe his work and ascertain his skill for many years.

"So, are you meeting with him?" came a woman's voice from behind the olive-eyed man. He turned, grinning, "We're meeting in an hour."

The long, blonde-haired woman smiled in return, "That's great. Hopefully, he'll help us. What do you think?"

A slight frown touched the man's lips, "I'm really not sure." he soon covered his hesitation with a smile, "But we won't know until we try."

A short nod agreed with him, "Well, good luck." she said, heading towards the door.

"And where are you going?" he wondered.

"You act like my mother." she informed him, "I'm calling Gary to see if he'll fill in for me a little longer, then I'm heading over to check up on the boys."

"Just be careful and don't slip up." he warned her. She was good at keeping a cover, but it had been going on for 6 years, and even the best were bound to slip up sometime.

"I would never!" she feigned offense, "It's insulting that you would even conisder me slipping up like that."

This earned a laugh from the brunette, "Alright, alright. Have fun, but don't be gone too long. And try to get out of there before he shows up."

"Why?" she wondered.

"Just to be safe." he explained.

"Always with being safe." she muttered, opening the door, "Fine, I'll be out of there as soon as I can."

Satisfied, the brunette nodded his goodbye and checked his watch. There was still another half an hour until he had to meet Roy, but it was always best to get there a little early. With one more glance to his home, he locked the door, and was on his way, _"Whatever his decision, it will all end soon."_

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Alright, I'm sure you have tons of questions by now. Unless you watch spiral and paid attention to their converstion. If you did both of those things, then you should know who the two people are. Even if you've never seen spiral, you should know who the woman is. What is that guy planning on asking Roy, though? Guess you'll just have to wait to find out! Eek...sorry this is so short, the next chappy should be longer!


	19. Chapter 19

Mwhahahahaha. I don't know why, but I felt like doing that. Perhaps I was just thinking about everything that's going to happen in this fic. That's definitely cause for an evil laugh. Heh...enjoy!

hello: It's not uncommon for me to forget things, so I'll probably be doing that a lot...I seem to have problems with ages for some reason, this isn't the first time I've screwed that up in a fic..(sigh). Oh well, thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: It's hard not to be myserious when you're talking about Kanone (oh, like you didn't know who it was). Thanks for reviewing!

A/N: I just realized something. Not a damn one of us was right about Ed's age. He _was_ 15, but then he and Al had a birthday a couple chapters ago, so he's really 16... Pain in the ass kid...Oh well, it's not a major change.

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A knock on the door alerted Ed, who was on the couch reading his newest book on alchemy. He'd come a long way in a short amount of time, and had moved on from transmuting headless figurines to working on bigger and better things. Just last week he had transmuted the fountain into a fire hydrant (yes, I'm stealing the game's idea). Granted, Roy wasn't too pleased with the outcome, but was impressed with the transmutation itself. It also came in handy when things around the house broke, and Ed had earned himself the less-than-desirable nickname of 'the little handyman'.

Opening the door, his eyes widened slightly at the woman on the other side, "Winry?" he asked, not believing that it was really her.

Still, that same smile he had known all those years ago appeared back on her face as soon as she saw the younger boy, "Hi, Ed, it's been a while. How have you been?"

Ed snapped out of his daze and moved to let her in, "Good, I guess. Who did you come here to see? I mean, Roy's out at the moment." he said, leading her into the living room.

"That's fine, I just came here to see you and..." Ed turned around when his former caretaker didn't finish her sentence to see Al clinging to her, "this little monster." she finished, laughing and patting the youngest blonde's head, "How have you been Al?"

"Great!" the younger brother replied, unlatching himself from Winry, "It's been so long since we've seen you!"

She hesitated, unsure of what to say to that, "Well, I've been pretty busy at the orphanage." It was a lame excuse, but she knew Al would buy it. Though, she was fairly certain Ed wouldn't.

"For 6 years?" said boy wondered, as if on cue, arching an eyebrow, "Must have had a lot going on." He didn't know what it was about seeing Winry, but she brought horrible memories back to him of when he stayed at that place. Those dark days were ones Ed would have perferred to not remember, but that was practically impossible when the one thing that could remind him of those times was standing right in front of him.

"Brother..." Al said, frowning. He would have expected Ed to be a little nicer to Winry now that he wasn't living at the orphanage anymore, but apparently he was wrong, _"Some people just never change."_ he thought.

"I see you haven't changed a bit." Winry commented, smiling once more, then looked down to Al, "He's even just as short as I remember, hasn't he grown at all?"

Al shook his head, snickering, "It's because he won't drink any milk."

Ed glared at the two, "I'm taller than you are." he informed all, "And I don't drink regurgitated vomit." With that, he reclaimed his seat on the couch and picked his book back up.

_"Well, it's nice to know that he's punctual."_ the olive-eyed man thought, smirking a little. He was only a minute or so late, but Roy was there, tapping his foot in what he could only guess was annoyance, looking like he'd been waiting for a while. The man walked up behind him, finally emerging from the shadows, "Hello, there."

Roy spun around and looked the man up and down. He saw that he was hardly a man, and didn't look a day over 19. Short light-brown hair came down to nearly cover his eyes, which in themselves was something to behold. At first glance they seemed like normal, olive-green eyes, but Roy knew better. He had seen this man's eyes that night, and they were anything but normal. He then realized he had yet to say anything, "Hi." he greeted extending his hand, "It's nice to finally meet you."

The other man took his hand, "I must say, I've been watching you for some time now, and I'm quite impressed with your work."

This comment put Roy on edge a little, but not enough so that he failed to notice the accent this man had. He had heard it before, somewhere in America, "Watching me?" he repeated.

"Well, it's only natural for an emloyer to keep an eye on his employees, isn't that right?"

Roy's brown/black eyes widened, "Employer...you mean you're..." he trailed off. Could it possibly be? Could the man that saved him that night, the same one standing right in front of him now, be _the_ boss? The one that not a single employee of the Underground had ever laid an eye on? The mysterious man that somehow got everything done, virtually undetected, and the only way anyone knew he was there was by pure belief?

"Yes, I am." he answered the unspoken questions, "My name is Kanone."

"Kanone." Roy repeated, then finally snapped out of his daze. A million questions ran through his head, but he never in a million years thought he would do what he did next to the man who had saved his life. It was probably one of the stupidest moves he could have made, considering how powerful Kanone was, but it didn't stop his fist from flying straight at his face.

Fortunately, Kanone wasn't one to be hit, and he caught the fist in the other hand that wasn't still shaking Roy's. He smiled at the shocked alchemist, "You certainly have a funny way of thanking someone." he commented, releasing both of his hands.

The older one slipped his hands into his pockets to refrain from doing something like that again, but didn't wipe the glare off his face, "Bastard." he growled, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

The smile finally faded and was replaced with a slight frown, "I believe I've missed something."

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Roy told him, pointing an accusing finger.

Kanone glanced to the finger, then back to Roy, "And I'm certain I don't. If you insist on being rude, I won't help you."

The hand lowered back down to Roy's side, "Why are you denying it? Why won't you just admit that you were the one that sent for Ed to be captured!" He couldn't so easily forgive Kanone for doing something like that, regardless of what he had done to redeem himself.

"Ed?" Kanone asked, as if that were the first time he'd ever heard the name, "I didn't send for him at all, that was Stephen."

"Stephen?" Roy repeated, it _was_ the first time he'd ever heard _that_ name, "Who is that?"

"My second-in-command, so to speak, Stephen Wright."

Roy was speechless at hearing this. He had known his boss, Mr. Wright, was high up on the chain, but to be Kanone's second-in-command? Then, the reality of Kanone's words sunk in, "He did it." Roy realized, "Why?"

Kanone shrugged, "Policy, I suppose. Trying to make himself an angel in my eyes." A laugh accompanied this suggestion, "Whatever it was, you got the kid back, so stop your bellyaching."

_"Bellyaching?"_ Roy thought, raising an eyebrow at the term. Kanone was definitely an odd one, "Why did you call me out here?" he wondered, getting back on track.

"To talk with you, and offer you a job of sorts."

"Job? You mean you're rehiring me?" That was good news, at least he wouldn't have to give his house up.

"Not at all." Kanone said, too cheerfully for telling someone that they weren't getting their job back, "I suppose 'job' was the wrong word. Think of it more as a proposition."

"What kind of proposition?"

"The Underground." Kanone whispered, frowning, "I started it in order to make our society a better place."

This interested Roy, "Wait, _you_ started the Underground?" A nod answered this question, "How old are you?"

"I'm quite old, actually." Kanone replied, smiling, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

"I'd rather not. I'm not here to challenge you, Mustang, only to recruit you."

"For what?" Roy honestly wanted to know what a man like Kanone could need _him_ for.

"The Underground has become...tainted with evil intent of others."

"Like Wright?" Mustang asked, starting to understand.

"Exactly. The company has been out of my control for some time now, and though I still remain in power, it's only for looks. In actuality, I have no say in many things that happen there. Such as your boy being taken. I knew about it, of course, but was powerless to stop it."

"If Wright is such a problem, why not fire him?" That seemed like the most practical idea to Roy, "Or even kill him if you think he's going to prove to be trouble."

"He's protected." was the only explanation given, "By a group of people that even I wouldn't go up against alone."

"So that's why you're recruiting me?" Roy asked, "To help you fight these people?"

Kanone nodded, "Exactly."

"Who are they exactly? Other alchesmists, I'm assuming."

"I'll spare you the details for now, but if you decide to join me, I'll fill you in later."

Roy thought over it, and eventually agreed. He wanted revenge on Wright for kidnapping Al and going after Ed. Besides, when he looked at the slightly saddened face of Kanone, he couldn't help but pity him. The man really was a genuis, starting an organization such as the Underground, but it was taken from him. He only wanted to regain what had been taken from him, and since when was that a bad thing?

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Umm...when the person is Kanone, maybe? Hmm? Oh, nevermind me. So! Yeah, I'm pretty sure any of you who know spiral knew it was Kanone, and those of you who don't...go check out spiral.tv for all that is Kanone. And why does Kanone say he's old, but he doesn't look a day over 19? Creepy boy...I know I'm calling him a man in this fic, but he's really just a boy. An obssessive, creepy, manipulative boy, but a boy nonetheless. Next chappy...more with Winry, Ed, and Al, and I'm sure Roy will come home...besides that, I dunno.


	20. Chapter 20

Yay, 20 chappies. And I haven't been slacking off, my internet got cut off. Or, so I was lead to believe...(mumbles about stupid passwords). Nevermind me, and enjoy!

million-tears: Heh, sorry I haven't updated for the longest time... and I'm glad you're still reviewing, so thanks!

galliechan: Whoo, my story is interesting! Heh, thanks for reviewing!

Ren-Fan-33: Don't worry, you don't really have to know anything about spiral to know about Kanone. It's actually better if you don't know his personality. Well, it will make for a more interesting fic if you don't. Yay for good grammar! Heh...thanks for reviewing! (and if I had chocolate everytime I sat down to write...I'd be like that guy on tv that needed 10 people just to turn him over in bed...okay, maybe not that bad, but you get the point).

flame-alchemist-x: I don't know if it's just me, but whenever I try to explain spiral, it gets very complicated. That website, spiral.tv, is the official spiral website. I don't know why it's .tv instead of .com or .net...spiral is just that special! Thanks for reviewing!

Bunnicula: I hope I answered all of your questions, and thanks again for the...lengthy review. Don't worry, though, I didn't think of your review as a flame at all!

Red Kitsune Flames: Don't tell anyone, but he threatened to do bad, horrible things (yes, the bad, horrible things I _don't_ like) to me if I didn't include him. He is a quite bit of fun, though, I'll give him that. Thanks for reviewing!

hello: Lol, I think we might have to have a contest for worst memory, because I have a feeling I could give you a run for your money. Thanks for reviewing!

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"Alchemy?" Winry wondered, looking at the cover of Ed's book, "You're still into that?"

"Alchemy isn't something you just get into and then lose interest in." the older brother informed her, "If you're lucky enough to be able to master the skill, you don't just give it up."

Winry smiled a little, "So, you can actually perform it?"

"Of course I can." Ed replied, though suprisingly not as cockily as the words may have suggested, "I wouldn't be trying to do something I had no chance at succeeding with."

Al nodded, "Ed's really good and he's been getting even better." he said, "I still can't do much, though."

"It's just because you don't try." the older brother told the younger, frowning, "Besides, it's not like I can practice it anymore with the Underground constantly watching us."

Winry sat up at the name, "The...Underground?" She wondered what Ed knew. Kanone hadn't told her much that was going on, so she leaned in, interested.

Ed raised a suspicious eyebrow, "Yeah, it's..._was_ the place Roy worked at."

"Oh? What exactly does he do there? Or...did...he got fired?"

"Something like that." Ed muttered, "He did what everyone else there does. You're telling me he didn't tell you what he did for a living before you let him adopt someone?"

The oldest blonde shook her head, cursing Ed for his observantness, "Not at all, he just didn't give me the details of his job, I was hoping you could."

"Well, what exactly did he tell you?" the older brother challenged. Winry was hiding something, and he wanted to find out what.

_"It wouldn't matter what he told me."_ she thought, _"It was a lie anyway; who would tell the truth about their job to an adoption agency?"_ Of course she had known he was feeding her bullshit about working in some government office in a well-paying position. It hadn't mattered what he had told her, though, it was all according to plan, and whether either of them knew it or not, Ed and Roy were predestined to be together. She realized that she hadn't spoken and smiled a little, "He only told me that he worked for the government." she said, "An office job."

"And you accepted that?" Ed wondered, "Weren't you concerned that it was a lie or something? Did you ask for a paystub or documentation or anything?"

"To tell you the truth, I had other sources that confirmed Roy's occupation."

"Well, those sources lied. The Undergroud might be a government owned business, I don't know, but he certainly didn't work in some office, and he hated the paperwork had to do."

Winry blinked a few times, dumbfounded, "Well, it all worked out for the best, right?"

"That's your answer?" Ed asked, "What if he had been some serial killer or a child rapist?" he asked, now in full-glare, "You should have checked it out better."

Al wanted to jump to Winry's defense, but thought over his brother's words, _"Ed makes a good point, wasn't she worried at all?"_

These same thoughts would have been running through Ed's head as well, and he would have felt hurt and betrayed. Of course, he knew better; he knew Winry was hiding something, _"But what?"_ he wondered. It was driving him crazy not knowing, and what was the best way to get that information? He stood suddenly, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Winry tilted her head to the side, "Weren't we already?" she wondered.

"Alone." he clarified, smiling at Al, "It'll just take a second."

Confused, the younger brother nodded, "Alright."

Ed jerked his head towards the kitchen and Winry followed. When they reached the privacy of another room, the shorter blonde turned, "You're hiding something." It wasn't a question but a statement; Winry _was_ hiding something.

That now-fake smile stayed plastered on her face, "What do you mean?" she asked, all too innocently.

"You know damn straight what I mean." he told her, "What do you know that you're not telling me? I know you, and I know you wouldn't have just authorized his adoption of us if you weren't completely sure of him."

Winry looked down, perhaps a little ashamed that she had been found out by a kid, "You're right." she admitted, "But I can't tell you anything."

"Yes, you can." Ed told her, "What are you hiding? What have you been planning?" A million questions were flying through his head, all of which he wanted answered, but knew that she would most likely stay silent. Whoever she answered to, she wasn't about to defy. Still, once question lingered in his mind; one that he had to have answered, "How much of my life have you planned?" he asked. He knew at least everything that had happened in the orphanage was probably under her and her boss' control. Anything beyond that...Ed shook his head, that wasn't possible.

"I..." Winry looked away again, "I can't tell you anything." She sighed, cursing Kanone for his secrecy. If they could just be open with Roy and Ed, wouldn't things be so much easier? That was Kanone, though, always keeping secrets and hiding things. He could never be foward with his true intentions, only his false promises and deceptions.

Al, who had remained in the living room, sighed, "I wonder what they're talking about." he thought out loud. He jumped slightly as the door opened and Roy appeared in the entrance to the room he was currently occupying, "Oh, hi, Roy." he greeted, smiling.

Roy nodded, "Where's Ed?"

"In the kitchen with Winry." Al replied, frowning, "Did something happen?" Roy seemed more distant and distracted than usual.

"It's nothing you need to worry about." he assured the younger boy, "Winry's here, you said?"

The other one nodded, "Yeah, she just showed up out of the blue." He shrugged, "I'm not sure why."

Roy headed into the kitchen without another word, suspicious of Winry's sudden appearance. He paused, hearing the conversation, "You're the reason Al was taken, aren't you? The reason Roy comes home beaten up and bruised every other night?"

The man they were talking about frowned and furrowed his brow, "I should go." came Winry's nervous voice. She was about to crack, and knew that couldn't happen. If she messed up that bad, Kanone wouldn't forgive her. His last words floated through her mind, _"Just be careful, and don't slip up."_ She couldn't fail, refused to fail.

"No, not until you tell me what's going on." Ed said, almost desperately.

"Ask Roy, he's meeting with my boss tonight. If he decided to say anything yet, then Roy will tell you."

"Not likely." the boy muttered, crossing his arms and looking away. Roy had a tendency to keep things from him, even when he asked him about it. He sighed, "So, why exactly _did_ you stop by?"

A smile covered the older one's face, "I really did just want to see you two again." she said, "It's been too long."

"Right." Ed scoffed, skeptically. After a moment of Winry staring him down, he finally sighed and cracked. He looked up at her, a slight smile on his face, "It was good to see you again, and it made Al happy." he admitted.

Her blue eyes widened, "I've never seen you smile before." she said, somewhat in awe.

"Well, a lot has changed." he whispered, "Whether or not you planned to get Roy to adopt Al and I or not, I'm glad that it happened."

"I should get going." Winry said, suddenly, standing up. Kanone's warning to leave before Roy arrived lingered in her head.

"Alright, say 'bye to Al before you leave."

"Of course." she waved to the older brother, "Hopefully it won't be six years before we see each other again." she joked.

"Yeah." Ed half-heartedly waved back. After Winry was out of sight, he proceeded to bang his head into the table a couple of times, _"This is just great."_ he thought, _"Why did I think things would get back to normal?"_ It seemed no matter how hard he tried, his life was doomed to be full of complications.

As Winry exited the kitchen, Roy ducked into the bathroom, out of sight. He didn't know what was going on exactly, but figured it was best to stay out of it. Though, from the part of the conversation he heard, it sounded like Winry was working for Kanone. Did that mean she was an alchemist as well? He waited until he heard her say goodbye to Al and the door close, and moved into the kitchen where Ed had, thankfully, stopped beating his head into the counter, "Hey." he said, startling the unaware boy.

"Roy? Did you just get back?"

"A couple minutes ago." he confirmed with a nod.

"Did you run into Winry?" he asked, finally sitting up straight.

"I was...in the bathroom." Well, it wasn't a complete lie, "What did she come here for?"

"That guy that called, you said you were meeting him." Another nod, "What exactly did he want?"

"His name is Kanone, he's the one who, as far as I can tell, single-handedly began the Underground."

"Single-handedly?" Ed repeated, "Is that even possible?" From what he had heard, it was a big place, big enough that there would have to be at least three or four co-founders.

"I don't know, but he didn't mention anyone else." he recalled, "Either way, he said that the Undergound has become corrupted at the hands of his second-in-command and a few others. He wanted to take control back."

"And that's why he called you, because he saw that you had the skills to help him achieve that goal." the younger one concluded.

"Right." came the tired response as Roy took a seat next to Ed, head falling down to rest on the table with a _thunk_.

"And?" One eye opened to look at him inquisitively, "What did you say? Are you going to help him?"

"Why not? He said he'd pay me, and I've got my own reasons to get back at those bastards."

Ed nodded, understandingly, and smirked as the one brown eye closed in an attempt to get some sleep. He slid off his seat and slung Roy's arm over his shoulders, "Come on." he said, grunting with effort as he hoisted the older, and much heavier, man to his feet.

"Where are we going?" the sleepy voice asked.

"To bed." Ed suggested, "Unless you're up to cooking dinner." He smirked as an unamused eye glared down at him, "Fine." the blonde pouted, thanking the heavens that Roy's room and bed was right near the kitchen. He plopped the black-haired man down onto his bed and let out a slight yelp as he was pulled down as well.

Roy pulled him closer, sighing softly, "Goodnight." he murmured.

"Uh..." Ed blinked as he tried to struggle from Roy's death hold, but found it to no avail, "'Night."

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Heh, poor, tired Roy. Well, now, Winry's just all with the secrets, isn't she? Well, not a whole lot happened, but it'll get more interesting soon enough. That's all I'm saying!


	21. Chapter 21

Sorry for the extremely slow updating. I haven't had access to the internet for a while, so I had no way to update. I should be good from here on out, though. I'm not really sure. Either way, enjoy!

Ren-Fan-33: Like I've said before, you don't really need to understand spiral in order to understand Kanone. In reality, it's probably best not to understand Kanone...he's a scary person. Ooh, don't go crazy, that might be bad! Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Lol, stuffed shrimp doll? Heh, 20 chapters down...who knows how many more to go. Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: The long waits will cease, I promise. Lol, yay for the death hold. Thanks for reviewing!

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Ed awoke to a warm sensation on his forehead. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the sun beams that were sifting through the blinds and hitting him in the face. He finally raised an arm to block out the painfully bright rays and rubbed his head where the warmth was. He grimaced as he felt a wet substance on his hand and glanced up to see a black-haired man. He smiled just the tiniest bit at the snoring face until he realized exactly what that warm, wet sensation was: drool. The blonde let out a loud groan as he pushed Roy away and wiped furiously at the now-red spot, "That's just nasty." he commented to himself.

A final loud snore-like sound errupted from the other male's throat before his eyes batted open. He sniffed slightly and looked over at the loud boy next to him, "What's with all the noise?" he asked, stifling a yawn with his hand.

"You drooled on me!" Ed informed him, glaring.

An eyebrow raised at the accusation, "Oh?"

"'Oh' my ass, don't act innocent!"

Roy blinked a few times, having just woke up and being completely unaware of his major offensive action, "Uh...sorry?"

The smaller boy let out a frustrated grunt as he rolled off the bed, "Whatever." he mumbled as he made his way out to the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" the older one wondered, tilting his head slightly.

"To cook breakfast, I'm starving." the reply came from the other room.

_"He just woke up, how can he already be starving?"_ Roy wondered, but just shrugged the thought off. He wouldn't be suprised if it was scientifically proven that Ed's stomach had been replaced with a black hole at some point in the boy's life. The 'I'm starving' part of the statement wasn't even the most suprising, "You don't want me to cook?" he called, tossing the covers off.

"You'd probably drool in my eggs." came the sarcastic response, "You know I don't like runny eggs."

"Really?" Roy asked, finally climbing out of his extremely comfy bed, "I would have figured you'd like runny eggs."

A suspicious glare was shot at the older man as he entered the kitchen, "Why would you think that?"

"Well, you're such a runt, I figured you could relate."

Ed growled in the back of his throat and was about to explode when the phone rang. A grin passed over the raven-haired man's face as he quickly went to the noise-making device to escape the fit he knew was about to be thrown, "Hello?"

"Hi there." came the all-too cheerful voice.

Roy secretly wondered how this man was _this_ awake already, but just shook his head, "What is it?"

A pause silenced the conversation for a moment, "Why does there have to be anything?" the southern boy wondered, "I can't just call to chat?"

"Considering the circumstances of our relationship, I'd say no." the older one replied, bluntly.

Kanone scoffed slightly, "Well, then. I _was_ calling to see if you had plans this evening, but I can see you probably need to practice your manners a bit more, so I won't interrupt you."

Roy sighed in defeat, "Will you get to the point?"

On his end, the golden-eyed boy smiled, "That's better. By your inquiry, I am to assume you are free later on?" Silence answered his question, and he continued, "Wonderful, how would you feel to a night out; perhaps dinner?"

"You do realize I already have a boyfriend." This remark raised suspicion from implied boy, who paused from cracking an egg open to glance at his 'boyfriend'.

_"Like we're actually together."_ Ed thought, snorting, and turned back to his meal. He didn't know why they continued to lie to each other like this; it was clear Roy felt nothing romantic for the boy. Or perhaps he did, and Ed was just too insecure and untrusting to see it, _"Even after all this time, why can't I open up to him more?"_ he silently wondered. Whatever the reason, he was sure he'd find the solution some day.

Kanone honestly didn't know how to react to the words that had just been uttered, and blinked at the phone, "I wasn't proposing a date." he informed Roy, "Simply dinner."

"Why would I want to have dinner with you?" he asked, not meaning it as harshly as the words implied.

"To discuss the terms of your agreement, of course." Kanone replied, matter-of-factly, "Certainly you didn't think I was asking you out." The idea was met with a brief laugh from the younger boy.

Roy growled, almost inaudibly, "What terms?"

A final chuckle sounded, "Well, I can't just have anyone working for me, now can I? We see what happens when I do that; I need to make sure you're trustworthy. I've already assessed your skills, so now the only aspect left is your...personality." He considered this criteria and frowned. Perhaps 'personality' wasn't the best word; lord knows if he placed heavy importance on personality, Roy would have been out the moment Kanone met him. Still, the skill and power was undeniable.

_"Personality?"_ Roy wondered, "Where do you want to meet?"

"So impatient. You should really lighten up, you know that?"

The older man was getting a bit tired of the cheerful, in-your-face, optomistic personality of his former boss, "I was just asking where you wanted to meet. How is that being impatient?"

"You're really not one for small talk, are you?" came yet another pointless question.

An eyebrow twitched this time, "Why do you keep answering my questions with other questions?"

There was a blissfully-silent pause and Roy relaxed the tiniest bit before Kanone spoke again, "I was _trying_ to make conversation with you, but it seems that isn't working. So, meet me at Geraldi's at 8." Without another word, the line went dead.

Roy blinked and stared at the phone for a second, a bit in shock at the change of attitude. He shook it off and hung up the phone, glancing over to see how Ed was progressing with breakfast, "Done yet?"

There was no answer for a moment as Ed turned off the stove and set the last few pieces of bacon on a napkin, "Yep." he replied, then proceeded to carry the food to the table and inhale it. Roy chuckled as he sat across from the human vaccum and grabbed a piece of toast before it was sucked up into the great abyss that was Ed's stomach. Once he was finished, Ed let out a loud burp and looked at Roy, "So, was it that guy on the phone again?"

The dark-haired man nodded in confirmation, "Yeah, Kanone. He wants me to meet him for dinner to discuss things further."

All of a sudden, Ed got very serious, "You're sure about this guy, right? I mean...I don't know what I would do..." he trailed off, looking down, _"I don't know what I would do if I lost you, too. Like I lost mom and dad..."_ Al had been the only person he could really talk to for years. Then, Roy came along. He changed so many things about Ed that even the boy himself was dumbfounded by how much more friendly and cheerful he was. By now, it seemed like a natural thing to laugh when six years ago, the thought would have never even crossed his mind.

"I don't know what it is about him, I just get this feeling whenever I'm near him. I can just tell that he has pure intentions." Roy was certain of his claims. Kanone seemed too innocent to be planning something evil. The older one believed the brunette when he said he simply wanted what was rightfully his. Though, he was a bit wary of the other's methods. Kanone, despite his friendly facade, seemed to be able to kill without hesitation. While that trait did prove handy at times, it was usually unneccessary. Then again, perhaps he was reading Kanone all wrong; maybe the latter wouldn't kill without an extremely valid reason. The little voice in the back of his head, though, told him that was anything but the truth.

"Just be careful." Ed warned, "This guy might have started the Underground out of good intentions, but he was also in power wihle it turned corrupt right under his nose. A man as powerful as you've described him not being able to do a thing about something like that? Not very likely. There might be more to him than meets the eye."

The words turned over in Roy's head as he finished a salvaged piece of bacon, "Maybe so, but we all have our skeletons. You can't hold it against him if he keeps secrets. Someone who's lived his life is almost forced into secrecy."

"I'm not worried that he's keeping secrets, I'm just worried about what those secrets are."

Ed's advice made enough sense, so the pyro nodded, "I'll keep my guard up." he said, hoping that would suffice. He couldn't avoid Kanone, the guy was everywhere, and he couldn't distance himself from him, or he would know that something wasn't right. Though, now that Ed had pointed it out, he didn't sense a little something about Kanone, almost sinister and decieving. Whatever it was, it would have to wait until Roy had something to confirm these suspicions. It wasn't wise to make an enemy as powerful as Kanone for no good reason.

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Doesn't he know you should always trust your instinct? Well, his loss! Next chappy, we'll find out what's up with Winry, what exactly these 'terms' are, and..something else!


	22. Chapter 22

Yay, I'm alive! I know it seems like I've fallen off the face of the planet, but I haven't...I'm still here. Now, just to decide whether that's a good thing or a bad one...well, while I think on that, you enjoy!

galliechan: Well, here it is for you, sorry it was so long in coming out. Thanks for reviewing!

Asahi Minako: Aw, thanks! Spiral really is a great show, and well worth the investment. Though, it leaves you wanting at the end. Wanting what? Pretty much an ending. That's the only bad part about it...Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: Sorry, any drool is nasty. Yes, even Roy's drool. You really don't need to know anything about spiral to follow the story, and like I said before, it might even make it more interesting if you don't know Kanone's personality. You just won't pick up on the little sarcastic comments, like when I called him innocent last chapter- any spiral fan would be laughing their ass off about that. I hope, though, by the time this is all over, you'll have a better understanding of him. Thanks for revieiwng!

Red Kitsune Flames: Lmao, I couldn't help but put that in. Oh, what, you don't think Kanone is an innocent? (laughs) Alright, maybe not...Thanks for reviewing!

Ren-Fan-33: Well, making you crazy is my main goal...Heh, Winry business coming up! That sounded kind of wrong...Thanks for reviewing!

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"You're meeting him again?" Winry asked, looking to Kanone, "What for now?"

The brunette stared at her for a moment, "Well, I know _you_ think he's alright, but I've certainly got my doubts. He's a smart man, and I want to know if he's figured anything out quite yet."

"But, you haven't told him anything, right?" the older one asked, "How would he know if you haven't told him?"

"Certain people are able to put two and two together." Kanone informed her, sarcastically, "I have a feeling Roy is one of those people."

The blonde sighed, "I just think you're coming on a little strong. If you seem too needy for his help..."

"Then I'll put him in his place when he gets too cocky." he finished for her, sternly, "Simply because I am requesting his assistance does not mean I will do whatever he asks of me."

"You're too stubborn." she informed him, but dropped the subject when he gave her a look that told her it was best to leave it. She quickly changed topics, "So, what all are you planning on telling him?"

The olive-eyed boy cocked his head to the side, "What do you mean? I don't plan on telling him anything until I'm sure of him. Even then, it's best if he's in the dark about most of what I have planned."

Winry nodded, a bit sadly, "And...the Elrics?" she asked, almost hesitantly, "Will you tell him the truth about what happened to them?"

A glare was sent at her, "No, and neither shall you. Understand?" A slow nod answered the order, "I'll not have such a foolish thing keep me from my goal."

_"What goal?"_ Winry wondered, but never voiced the question. She had asked Kanone on several occasions what his overall goal was, but he had avoided the question almost entirely every time. He always told her that it wasn't for her to know, or that if he told her, he'd have to kill her. He had said it jokingly, but she almost felt that he was being serious; she could never tell with him. She knew that regaining control of the Underground was on his agenda, but he had to be using Roy for a greater purpose than just that. Hell, he could accomplish that himself if he really put his mind to it. No, there had to be something more that he was planning with all of this.

The southern accent broke her out of her thoughts, "Well, I should get going, it's getting late."

The older woman nodded, still slightly lost with her pondering, _"Maybe it has something to do with _them_."_ she thought, suddenly, _"He can't take them down by himself, and they certainly are a threat. But to do all of this for that goal..."_ She shook her head; it _wasn't_ unrealistic to think Kanone was that selfish. He knew how to survive, regardless of who was hurt along the way. She sighed once again and pushed these thoughts to the back of her head. Until she was certain of his motives, she wouldn't say anything. If she was right, though, he would need to be stopped.

Roy arrived at the meeting place a few minutes early, grabbing a booth in the back of the restraunt and ordering a glass of water. He sighed as he stared into the clear liquid, _"What am I getting myself into?"_ he wondered, not for the first time. Ever since he had come to know Kanone's identity, he had been questioning much about his life. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice a figure approach him and stand before him.

After a second, the other boy slipped in the other side of the booth, smiling, "I don't want to interrupt you," he began, earning himself a considerable jump from the concentrating man, "but perhaps we should get this over and done with."

Roy stared at him for a moment longer until he spoke, "Why exactly did you bring me out here?"

"I told you already." Kanone informed him, a tad bit annoyed, "I want to discuss my proposal a bit further. I trust you've had time to think it over?"

"Yeah." Roy confirmed. Kanone hadn't given him a lot of time to think it over, but he was already comfortable with his decision the moment it was made.

"And? What is your choice?"

Black met gold as the two males locked eyes, "I'll help you."

As soon as the words left the older one's mouth, a smile crossed the other boy's, "Wonderful." he said, "Now, then. I only need to make sure you're trustworthy. But, I'm certain we won't have a problem with that, now will we?"

"What do you mean trustworthy?" Roy demanded, slightly angered, "Haven't I been obeying your orders for the past 10 years?"

"No, you've been obeying Wright's orders for the past 10 years." Kanone corrected him, "Do you think I would have turned on you for keeping a child at your house? One that, I'm sure, knows little to no alchemy in the first place?"

"How would I have known?" Roy demanded, "Besides, it's company policy."

Kanone snickered, "Perhaps, but there are exceptions. Rules _are_ meant to be broken, are they not?"

An eyebrow quirked at the hypothetical question, "That's not a great attitude for someone like the leader of the Underground, you know."

The brunette laughed at this, "Well, I never said I was a great leader. Obviously, or else things wouldn't have ended up this way." he frowned a little at this realization.

Roy shook his head, "That's not true, you had no idea that Wright would do something like that."

"No, but I could have figured it out." the olive-eyed boy said, lowering his head, "I should have figured that they would sink to such a thing."

"They?" the older one echoed, "Who are 'they'?"

Kanone suddenly broke out in a smile, "Let's not talk about this now." he suggested, "I'm hungry, what about you?"

Roy quickly adjusted to the change in topic, giving the previous one only one, last lingering thought, "Yeah, sure." he agreed, now suspicious of the already-mysterious Kanone.

An hour later, the two males were standing outside the resturaunt, "Well, I must thank you for a lovely dinner." the younger boy said, smiling.

"You paid." Roy reminded him.

"Well, I suppose that is true. Still, you were enjoyable company."

One last lingering thought kept Roy from turning and leaving, "Kanone?"

Said boy looked up, "Yes?"

"Before when you mentioned 'them', who were you speaking of?"

The brown head simply shook, "I'll tell you in good time. For now, relax, and enjoy your life while it's still somewhat peaceful."

Roy thought to object but was cut off by Kanone raising a hand and saying 'goodbye', "Bye..." a sigh escaped his lips and he turned to head home, _"He's still hiding a lot from me."_ he realized, _"I suppose that's only normal, though."_ He shook his head and cleared it of those thoughts, he didn't need another headache again already.

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Damn, secretive Kanone...hmm, so, who's he talking about? Who are 'they'? Eek...this is kind of short...and very long in coming out...Well, I'll try to get the next one up sooner. Review please!


	23. Chapter 23

I'm back! I know, kill me now if you must... but I'm only updating the fics I'm going to have fun with, and this looks like one of them, so I'm updating it. Anyway, won't waste anymore time talking, enjoy!

Decapitated Marshmallow: Er...not sure quite how to respond to that...but thanks for reviewing anyway!

Tsuki Doriimaa: Way too lazy to type out your whole screenname... is that bad? Anyway, Ed's not a birdbrain... just a blonde (a short blonde at that). Gah! I think he heard me... help! No? Damn... well, thanks for reviewing!

Roy-Fan-33: Yay new names! Er...no slamming heads into anything unless it's a pillow or you're suicidal... in that case, I doubt a keyboard would work...try a brick wall! Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: All hail Kanone! Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: Yay for being alive! Heh, the secrets shall all be revealed...or...perhaps they won't... I bet you all would _love _that. Hehehehe...thanks for reviewing!

galliechan: Mystery is always fun, and it seems to keep you all reading. Thanks for reviewing!

Asahi Minako: Hmm...alright, but only once more. Heh, joking, of course... thanks for reviewing!

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Six figures stood in front of a man with dark grey hair and glasses, tapping his chin in thought, "It seems this child is going to try and become a problem." he observed.

One of the six nodded, "Yes, it seems he's enlisting help from one of your employees." the man informed the older one. He stood tall with a crazy grin on his face at the anticipation of getting his next request granted, "Want me to take him out?"

The grey-haired man looked at the other in annoyance, "Is that all that's on your mind? Violence?"

The broad-shouldered man shrugged, "It gives me something to do."

Another of the group, a thin woman with long, brown hair, sighed, shaking her head, "You really need to think about all aspects of this before you go off just killing people."

Her co-worker smirked, "And what's bad about killing a little snake like him? He has no family or friends, no one would miss him."

Most of the group nodded in silent agreement, but a small child that look to be no more than eight or so, with green hair and cold eyes stood by the woman, "You're wrong, he's friends with the employee he's getting help from now, and it would affect him."

The man thought this over for only a second before laughing and shrugging again, "Then I'll kill him, too."

This time another woman spoke, much more vuluptuos than the first, "Idiot, you can't go around killing everyone. That would involve the children, then, too."

"And I care, why?" the man wondered.

"You can't leave them homeless again." the child reminded him.

"I didn't do it the first time, brat." he countered, sneering at the much shorter one.

"Leave him alone." the motherly woman chided, putting a hand on the kid's shoulder and looking down at him, "No one will leave them homeless." A quick glance was sent to their leader to make sure.

The oldest one simply nodded, "Of course, I have no intention of involving the children or Mr. Mustang at all."

Now the second oldest in the room stepped foward, an eye patch adorning his left eye and a thick mustache covering his upper lip, "That's impossible, I'm sure you know." he pointed out, "The boy has already involved him enough, if we make a move now, he'll be sure to take action."

"Then we'll cover our traces." the revealing woman offered, "It can't be that hard to outsmart a guy like him."

The other woman glanced at her, "Aren't you always the one telling us to be careful and not assume things?" she wondered.

"Of course," the younger looking one replied, "but it's obvious he's slow."

"I wouldn't be so sure." the oldest of the six interrupted.

The leader nodded in agreement, "Kanone wouldn't have chosen him if he was incompetent."

"_Kanone _is incompetent." the first man suggested.

"If anyone is incompetent, it's you." the younger woman interjected.

The older man glared at her slightly, "I'm suprised you know what the word means."

"Children, children." the leader settled them, "No fighting amongst your own ranks. For now, we'll sit and watch these two, see what exactly their intentions are."

Now the talkative man sighed, "But that leaves us with nothing to do." he complained.

The greying man shrugged, "Go rob a bank?"

The grin replaced itself on the man's face, "Alright." he easily agreed.

A nod was all it took to dismiss the six. Once out, the fattest of the group looked around, "Where's Envy?" he wondered, drooling slightly as his mouth never closed all the way.

Lust sighed, knowing the question was going to come sooner or later, "I don't know, Envy's been acting...off lately." In fact, none of them other than her had seen the palm tree looking one in almost a month, not even their leader.

"Why don't you tell Wright about it?" Sloth wondered, "He has to suspect something, he hasn't come to any of these meetings."

"Like they do any good." Wrath interrupted, "Envy's the smartest one of all of us by avoiding them."

"Idiot, he won't be able to avoid Wright forever." Lust countered, "And the longer he avoids him, the more he'll pay."

The other one shrugged, heading out the door, "Well, then that's his problem." As he reached for the handle, the door swung open, smacking him in the face. He glared at the one on the other side, straightening his glasses, "You're too late, meeting's over."

"Like I care about some meeting." the green haired boy on the other side commented, scoffing slightly, "I need to speak to Wright about other matters, later." With that, he waved a hand carelessly and walked into their leader's office.

"What was that all about?" Wrath wondered, looking up at Sloth for an answer to the boy's actions.

"I'm not sure." she confessed, looking to Lust who simply shrugged.

"I've been in contact with him, but nothing more. I haven't even seen him in a week."

"Who cares?" Greed wondered, walking out the door.

Lust simply shook her head and followed him out with Gluttony. The short, fat one looked up at her, confused, "Lust, aren't we going to wait?"

"Why? We've got no clue how long he'll be and it's not likely he'd talk anyway." This seemed to satisfy the simple-minded one as he nodded and continued on his way. Casting one more, slightly worried, saddened look back to the building that served as the Underground, Lust followed the other five out and headed back home.

Back at his own home, tanned hands came up to rub tired, golden eyes as Kanone yawned. An eyebrow raised at the actions, "Perhaps you should go to bed?" Winry offered.

The older boy tilted his head to the side and blinked at her a few times, "I suppose that _would _be the thing to do, wouldn't it?" he laughed slightly and stood up, stretching.

A blonde head shook as the teen girl packed up the papers she had sprawled across the table into a manila folder and stood as well, "Yes, get some rest, and I'll see you in the morning."

After nodding once, Kanone turned to head into the bedroom for a few hour's rest before he needed to be up in the morning, "Night." he offered, waving a hand.

"Kanone." A single word halted the boy's movement into his bedroom and turned his head back to look at her, waiting for her to continue, "Are you not worried about those eight at all?" she wondered, meaning Wright and the others.

"Why would I be?" he asked, "I've got my new friend Roy to take care of those sins, and I can take Wright easily by myself."

"How can Roy possibly take care of all seven?" she queried, now more confused. If Kanone couldn't take them out, how could a simpleton like Mustang do it?

A low chuckle sounded from the back of Kanone's throat, "You'll see, all in good time, dear." he assured her, lifting a hand in farewell, "Don't forget to lock the door on your way out." With that, he turned once more, walking into his room and shutting the door.

A small sigh escpaed Winry's lips before she exited the house, locking the door and walking back to the orphanage, _"What are you planning to do with Roy?" _she pondered, _"And what will happen to those boys?"_

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Eh, not much to this chappy... but yes, I brought in the homunculus. And, I'm sure, screwed them up royally...but...oh well? Hmm, but what's up with dear Envy? Well, if you want to find out, review!


	24. Chapter 24

Hey, lookit! I'm updating and it hasn't been a year! Anyway, on with it I suppose? Good, enjoy!

FMA-lover16: Hopefully it won't take that long for me to ever update again. It was horrible, I know. Well, I'm back now, so no worries! Thanks for reviewing!

Foggy Brains: Hmm... no idea what Envy's up to, ask him...though, I doubt he'd talk. Guess you'll just have to wait and find out. Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: Nope, no Ed, Al, or Roy last chappy, but they'll be in this one, don't you worry. Gah...hm...suppose this story'll have to go on forever, then... I'll post the last chappy on my deathbed, what then? Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Look, only three days this time. That's much better, right? Hope so, thanks for reviewing!

Roy-Fan-33: Hmm...that's what it looks like...and...damn, you're right...well...I have no excuse...oh, and Wright is Roy's boss guy... the one that took the Underground from poor Kanone. He's just my OC. Heh, hopefully I can clear some things up in later chappies. Thanks for reviewing!

Asahi Minako: I know, I know... hm... what kind of connection do you have? You could probably download them off the internet if you wanted, at least a few episodes so you know who Kanone is. Hmm...nope, no death or disappearing or falling... at least not that I know of... thanks for reviewing!

Random Note: Everyone, go get acess to Panic! At the Disco's music, they rock! (cough) Back to your regularly scheduled fic...

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Early the next morning, short arms stretched, lazily, and a groan woke the unwelcomed sunrise. One golden eye opened to look around the room and saw that nothing had changed. Everything was exactly how he had left it the previous night, and that was a good sign. It meant no one had been in there while he was sleeping, nothing big had happened, everything was normal. Normality was one of the irregularities in Ed's life, and he was thankful when it popped its most welcome head up to have a look around. Of course, some weird, annoying bastard always came and beat it back down with some problem or another. A small sigh escaped his lips as he knew this peace would last only until he left his room, _"Best to enjoy it while it lasts."_

At that moment, a head stuck itself in his door, framed with short black hair and beady little black eyes, searching for any concsious Elrics. Upon seeing the one gold eye, he smiled slightly, "Morning." he offered as a greeting.

_"Too late." _Ed though, groaning and turning back over in his bed in response.

Roy chuckled to himself, "Well, if you don't want breakfast..." he trailed off, knowing the mention of food would wake Ed from a coma.

"Damn cheater." the younger boy mumbled and stood up, stretching again.

"Now, now. Respect your elders." the man chided, jokingly.

The boy before him, however, was not in the mood for jokes and glared as he stalked past to the kitchen, "Damn pedophile." he added, not at all jokingly.

Shaking his head, Roy turned back to Al, who was still sound asleep, _"To wake him or let him sleep...decisions, decisions..."_

Ed's voice interrupted his thoughts, as it often did, "Let him sleep you've already pissed one of us off enough for both of us!" he called from the kitchen, munching on a piece of toast.

_"He's such a morning person."_ the older one, though, calling back, "Don't forget your bib! Don't need to get crumbs everywhere!"

"Damn bastard!" was shot back and just as quickly forgotten. Ed was never a morning person.

After breakfast was finally over and done with, and Al had woken up and somehow calmed his brother down, Roy stood from the table, _"Feels like I've been going out a lot lately." _he thought. Of course, it had all been due to Kanone coming into his life and this whole Underground business. Roy had never thought much of the place, even though it was a huge deal to the others. They saw it as an unstoppable force that no one would dare go against unless they had a death wish or was out of their right mind. Maybe it was, who knew, but Roy still saw nothing special about it. Kanone, it seemed, wanted control back badly, though the older man couldn't figure it out for the life of him. If Kanone was that powerful, what was stopping him from taking it back from Wright? Perhaps there were other factors involved. All the black-haired man knew was he was part of something that was probably way over his head and might get him killed. Of course, he'd never let that happen, but what did he know?

Ed looked up from the last of his fourth serving and swallowed the food before speaking, a new trick he had learned last week, "Going out again?" he asked, looking slightly saddened.

"Yeah." Roy responded, not sure of what else to say. What _could _he say? That he was leaving again to go meet some strange guy that was using him for some purpose he had no clue to? He knew Ed didn't like Kanone from what Roy had told him, and he was sure it was killing the basically non-existant relationship that they had. Hell, he wasn't sure Ed hadn't just broken it off completely and not told him. Though, he knew that really hadn't happened, Ed wouldn't be _that_ cruel. He did know, though, that he was testing the other's patience with all this running around, coming home late at night, not saying much about where he'd been or who with, though Ed could easily figure that one out.

A small nod acknowledged the answer, but that was all the more thought Ed gave to the situation. He didn't want to think too much on it or he'd get depressed again. He couldn't remember the last time he and Roy had really been together, and though he knew it felt like a hell of a lot longer than it was, it had still been a while. Ever since he met that Kanone person. Ed wondered if Roy was really telling him everything, or if maybe his boyfriend was cheating on him. Not like he could actually call it cheating, technically, since they really hadn't been together yet. Still, it would be nice to know if the person who said he loved him and only him was sleeping with someone else. His eyes closed as he heard the front door shut with a small click and let his head fall to the table, groaning slightly as it hit with a _thump_.

The younger brother looked over to his almost identical sibling, "Brother? Is everything alright?" he asked, more asking what was wrong than if there was anything wrong, since it was clear that there was. Unless, that was, Ed had taken up a hobby of hitting his head on things. If that were the case, they might need to have a talk about things to do and things not to do.

Ed let the side of his face rest on the table as he turned his head to look at his brother, "What do you think of this guy Roy's been seeing?" he wondered. Maybe it was just his imagination that his boyfriend was cheating on him.

"Well," Al said, pausing for a moment to think his words over, "I don't really know him that well. I've only heard things about him from what you and Roy have said, and that hasn't been much. I mean, neither of us have met him, and while that is a little suspicious, maybe Roy just doesn't want us involved in things that aren't really our business."

"But it's involving my boyfriend, it _is _my business!" Ed defended his nosiness, his head raising slightly to emphasize his point.

In reality, Al was probably right, "It's really not, brother." he pointed out, "It's Roy's, we should stay out of it."

The older one stared at his silbing for a minute before dropping his head back to the table, "Whatever." he muttered. He knew Al was right, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

"Brother, I know you're worried, but you know Roy can take care of himself." Al said in that innocent tone of voice that usually made Ed give into whatever he wanted.

"I know." Ed conceted with a sigh, _"But this guy was the one that saved him before. I know Mustang can hold his own, but what if he can't against this guy or whatever he's planning?"_

This time Al didn't try to comfort the lost-in-thought boy as it would have been useless. He knew at this point, Ed would just mumble a 'yeah' or 'of course' or something along those lines, pretending like he was hearing a word of what his brother was saying. So, instead, Al just stood up and walked out of the kitchen, up to the bathroom to get ready for the day with one final thought, _"I hope I'm right."_

Another, rather loud, sigh escaped Ed's lips after his brother disappeared from earshot. He was still thinking about the older man when a shadowy figure entered the room he was still in. It came to stand behind him, hands on its hips, "Hey, kid." the teenage looking boy said, smirking slightly.

Ed jumped and spun around, glaring at the intruder, who had long, green hair and a fairly revealing black outfit on. He wore a grin on his face that wasn't hiding anything. This kid was up to something, "Who are you? How did you get in?" he demanded.

"My name's not important and I picked the lock." the older one answered easily.

"Then how will I know what to call you?" the golden-haired boy countered. He didn't like this guy already and had a bad feeling about the whole situation.

"Just call me whatever the hell you want, I don't care." the taller boy said, shrugging, "I'm not here to make friends."

"Why _are_ you here?" Ed got around to the obvious question.

"Well, I thought I should at least meet my little-" _"Damn, not time to tell him yet."_ he thought, sighing in disappointment.

"Your little _what_?" the child of the two demanded, glaring more.

"My little chipmunk." came the snickering repy, pinching Ed's cheek, "Your baby fat make you look like a chipmunk."

Ed slapped the hand away as his glare intensified more and he stood up, "I'm not your little anything, and I don't have baby fat!"

_"Still such a child."_ he thought, laughing and patting the much shorter one's head, "Of course you don't." he said in a mocking, baby voice.

Another slap sent the hand flying once more, "Don't touch me. Leave before I make you."

"Such a little spitfire." the older one commented, taking out a necklace with a small, oval, black crystal cage on the end, holding a crimson stone that fit it perfectly.

Ed backed up a step, "What is that?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly as his eyes traced over the stone, almost enraptured with its presence.

"A gift for you." came the simple explanation. The necklace was extended to him by the silver chain, dangling and swaying back and forth slightly. The stone seemed to almost glow from what Ed could only guess was the light reflecting off of it.

"Why would you give me anything and why would I take it from you?" he demanded, still staring at the stone.

"Obviously you'd take it because you want it, I can tell."

The stranger was right about that, Ed was using all self control not to grab it right out of his hand. Still, "That doesn't explain why you'd break in my house just to give me something." he pointed out, eyes still glued to the crimson rock, unconsciously taking a step closer to it.

A small grin appeared on the other's face at the action, "Well, what better way to give it to you than directly?" he wondered.

"You could have knocked." Another step. Instead of answering, the boy simply shrugged and his grin widened as the blonde took yet another step toward him, or rather, toward the necklace. A few more muttered comments about better ways to have delivered the jewlery accompanied by a step closer with each, and Ed was right in front of the boy and necklace. No, not any necklace, _his _necklace. He reached out a hesitant, gloved hand to the stone and tilted it slightly, eyes widening as it felt almost warm.

"Go on." came the slight encouragement, "It's yours."

"Mine." Ed whispered, taking it from him and putting it around his neck, gasping softly as the stone glowed brightly, making everything seem as if it were a shade of red. The glow died done as quickly as it came and Ed looked down at his gloves as an emblem was seemingly etched into them, "Wha...?" he began, looking up to the boy. He was even more confused when no one was there. Blinking, he looked around his surroundings. The front door was closed, locked, and deadbolted just like it had been after Roy left and nothing was out of place or stolen. He looked back down at the necklace and tilted his head in slight admiration of the stone. It was a fascinating color and the way it seemed to glow with energy made it even more appealing.

"Brother?" Al asked, coming down the stairs, holding something in his hand.

Ed looked up, not bothering to hide the neckalce, "Yeah?" he asked, wondering what had the younger sibling so concerned.

Al held up the object in his hands, a broken watch. More specifically, the watch Ed had given to him last year for his birthday, "I found it in the hallway." he said, frowning.

The older one frowned slightly, too. The watch hadn't been the most expensive or important gift ever, but his brother appreciated the sentemental value. Ed had been barely able to afford it and had put a lot of thought into the gift itself. He reached out a hand to pick it up, "Don't worry, Al, I'm sure we can get it fixed." he offered, trying to bring the younger boy's spirits up.

"But...it's in so many pieces." Al objected, "How can it be fixed."

Ed really didn't have an answer to that, and picked it up instead. As he did, the stone around his neck glowed, as well as the emblem on his gloves. Ed blinked and looked down at the stone, then back up at his brother's suprised gasp, "Huh?"

"Brother, the watch." Al said, pointing to said object that was now shining in the same crimson light. The boys watched as the light died down, revealing the watch, fixed and working as if nothing had happened, "How...?" Al looked up to the older one, "I didn't know you could do that." he commented, "You've really been practicing your alchemy!" The naive one thanked his brother and grabbed the watch, running back upstairs.

Ed stayed where he was, hand still extended, _"But, I haven't."_ he thought, _"And if that was alchemy, why was the light red instead of blue like it usually is? And where was the circle?" _He didn't know what had just happened, but he did know it wasn't alchemy. At least, none that he knew.

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Yay, Ed can do alchemy now! Well, at least better than he could. But who was the kid that gave him the necklace? And why did he give it to him? And how the hell did he pick a deadbolt! Creepy kid, ne? Anyway... I suppose that's all for now. Review!


	25. Chapter 25

Miss me? I'm so sure...well, I'm sure you missed my fic anyway. Sorry, so sorry for the lateness in updating. I'll try to make up for it (try, anyway). Enjoy!

Kaioma: Yup, yup, it's Envy. He's so much fun. Whoo, I rock someone's socks. (XD your review rocks my socks!)

Luna-Lunak: Ed's just too easy to tease. I know, didn't mean to make him seem all...creepily obssessed with it, but who wouldn't be? Thanks for reviewing!

Foggy Brains: Hm, why _would _he give Ed a Stone? No clue, I'm sure we'll find out eventually. Or maybe it's just more of the random insanity that is Envy. Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: You should always be suspicious when Envy's involved... or Kanone... or mysterious dark overlords... er, nevermind about that. Thanks for reviewing!

flame-alchemist-x: Hm...perhaps, perhaps. And if Ed doesn't get pissed at him for that, it'll be for something else, it _is _Ed after all. Thanks for reviewing!

Asahi Minako: Well, I can assure you that the fic won't be ending soon (just hope it doesn't go over your head). I'll try not to make things _too _complicated (and if you know me, I'll either confuse the hell out of everyone including myself or make everything so simple minded... on occasion, I do both at once!) Thanks for reviewing!

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Roy glanced around the nearly empty park, where Kanone had told him to meet him. He had been early by a few minutes, so he guessed he'd have to wait a bit before Kanone got there. Then again, Roy was learning quickly that he knew nothing about Kanone as he glanced up to see the younger one approach him. He nodded to him, while the brunette smiled brightly, "Hi, there." he greeted, "Sorry for calling you out so late."

"It's alright." Roy replied, not really sure one way or the other if it was. It's not as if he could complain, he did agree to help Kanone, but being called out at all hours of the night for reasons he wasn't sure of wasn't exactly what he called enjoyable.

Another smile graced the young boy's lips as he nodded, "As long as you're sure."

"So," Roy spoke up after a moment of silence, "why did you call me here?"

"Yes, of course." Kanone's eyes darkened a bit, foreboding of the news he was about to give, "Things will be happening soon, very soon." he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"You mean with the Underground." the older alchemist clarified.

"Well, what else? But do be careful that his sight doesn't turn red."

This warning sent a chill down the black-haired man's spine, for reasons he wasn't sure of, "Who?"

"That young alchemist living with you, Edward."

A frown found a place on Roy's lips at the suggestion, "Why would something like that happen?" he asked, a bit scared of the answer.

"Just a friendly warning." Kanone assured him, "They like to hit you where it hurts, no matter where that is."

A small nod acknowledged the possiblity but Roy refused to think Ed would turn on him, _"Even if I have been ignoring him pretty much lately." _he thought, _"Ed still loves me, right? At least... enough not to turn on me." _At least, he hoped that was the truth.

"Don't let your thoughts betray you at a time like this," came the southern accent, "and do hope that the boy's loyalty to you will remain even in his darkest hour."

Another nod, "It will." he replied, sounding much more confident than he was.

Kanone laughed slightly, "Confidence means nothing if it only goes as far as your words." he informed him, "You can tell by the inflection in someone's voice whether their words are true, and yours couldn't be any more fake."

An eyebrow quirked at how well he was being read. This boy was certainly not ordinary, though that much was obvious from the go. Still, he sounded confident enough himself while disecting Roy's own assurances. "Of course." was all he said, all the more thought he gave to the matter.

"I thought I would tell you a bit more." Kanone continued, "About who, or rather what, you're up against."

This time Roy actually paid attention, "Who?" he asked.

"A group of people, alchemists," he began, "that call themselves the Sins. There's seven of them, of course, one for each sin: Pride, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, and Wrath."

"Why are they so powerful that you can't take them down on your own?"

"They hold a power greater than my own." he continued with his story, "Something, as an alchemist, I'm sure you've heard of. The Philosopher's Stone."

Those two words alarmed Roy and also shocked him, though he kept most of his suprise hidden, "How did they get one?"

"Not just one, they've got enough to last them a lifetime, quite literally."

The question came again, "How?"

"They aren't quite human, each possessing a rather unique trait. Envy is a shapeshifter, able to take the form of any being he's seen before. Lust can transform her fingers into long, pointed knives that work quite well for slicing through nearly anything. Gluttony is able to eat through anything, his saliva being like an acid on metals. Greed's body is made out of a material that's literally invulnerable to most anything. Pride has an unnatural talent in swordsmanship and can take down the best in a matter of minutes. Sloth is able to turn her body into a water-like substance and get in through impossibly small spaces. Lastly, Wrath can join his body with objects, becoming one with them."

"If they're not human...what are they?" the older one wondered.

"They are able to possess such powers because of the Philosopher's Stone." the brunette explained, "But not the Stone itself, no, their entire bodies are made from the substance."

Another shock went through Roy at hearing this, "How?"

"They were created, of course. I'm sure you can guess by who."

"Wright." That name was becoming more and more of an annoyance and problem for Roy.

"Yes." the golden-eyed boy confirmed, "I'm not sure as to his full motives for creating them, perhaps just to prove he could. However, they're quite loyal to him, as a pet would be to its master. This, of course, causes problems when he wants things. Say, control of my company."

"So they're why you can't just take control back." Roy easily put two and two together, "How could I possibly help, though?" came the next question, "It's obvious I'm not as strong as you, I couldn't last a minute against them."

_"No, you couldn't." _Kanone thought, keeping up a smile, "Don't worry, I'll inform you of your part at a later date. Just be ready to act on short notice." A nod agreed and he smiled more brightly, a truly fake smile to anyone who knew him. Of course, Roy didn't know the first thing about him, did he? "Good, I'll let you get on back home now, and remember what I said about the boy." With that final reminder, the lighter-haired boy turned and walked off back towards his home.

Slightly confused as to his part in the whole thing, Roy made his way home where Ed was in the study, reading a book as usual. Glancing in, the older one alerted the concentrating boy of his presence with a soft knock. Ed's head rose at the sound and a slight smile fell across his lips at the sight of the other. Mostly, that he was back rather soon and seemingly unharmed. The book was set down as the taller one entered the room, "Everything alright?" he asked.

Roy took his place next to the blonde, "Of course." he said, "Kanone was just telling me about what we're up against is all."

A small 'oh' escaped Ed's lips before he became slightly concerned, "It's nothing too big for you, right?"

Worrying him would do no good, Roy knew, but lying would do worse, "How he described it, it is," he confessed, "but I trust that he wouldn't track me down just to send me in there and get me killed."

"Are you sure?" the young boy asked, suddenly, "I mean, what do you really know about him? He claims to have been the leader of this Underground place, but you've been there how long and never even heard of him? What if it's all just some overly complex plan to have you killed?"

Ed's words made a disturbing logic, but Roy shook his head and placed a soft kiss on the boy's head, "You know I'm too good to die." he said, acting way more confident than he was. It was obvious Ed wasn't buying it, though, so the older one decided to change the subject. He glanced down at the new jewlery adorned around the other's neck, "What's that?"

Golden eyes blinked and glanced down at the caged crimson stone, "It was a gift." he said, not offering much explanation.

"From who?" Roy wondered, quirking an eyebrow.

"A boy." came the short response. It was obvious Ed was hiding something from him.

"Why did he give it to you?"

"Do people need a reason to give someone something?" the blonde shot back, "Besides, it's mine."

The older one studied the chlid's stubborn face for a moment, "Of course." he complied, reaching out for the small caged stone.

As quickly as he had made the action, he regretted it. Ed's hand clamped in on his wrist with a suprising force that Roy didn't know the lithe boy had. He winced as the grip tightened and Ed's eyes glazed over, a slight red tint to them and his face became cold and hardened, "Mine." he repeated. A slight nod was all that was necessary to release his wrist and he quickly pulled it back. Just as it had come, the small transformation disappeared, reverting Ed back to his normal self. Acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened, Ed suddenly jumped up, "So, you're going to cook me dinner, right?" he asked, tilting his head and adorning a sweet smile that he knew Roy couldn't say no to.

After a moment of collecting himself he registered the words and hung his head, "Of course." he repeated, glancing up as the blonde happily bounced out of the room toward the kitchen. Shaking his head, he followed him, trying to rather unsucessfully block out Kanone's warning about Ed. He would refuse to believe the innocent boy would turn on him. Then again, what did Roy know?

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A bit possessive, aren't we? Ed's just reminding me more and more of Gollum In Lotr... anyway, so sorry this is so long in coming out. I'll try to get the next chappy up sooner and find out what's going on with little Edo. Review!


	26. Chapter 26

Holy crap, has it been long enough? Er...yeah... no comment on the lack of updating. I'll _attempt _to be more attentive to this fic since it's been ignored for so long. In any case, enjoy!

iceprincess421: Weird...well, at least you found it (somehow)! Thanks for reviewing!

I love Malfoy as a ferret: Ah, but Roy's head is as thick as his ego is inflated, and he will not so easily see that the malicious Kanone is...well... malicious. XD, in other words, he's blind and gullible. Thanks for reviewing!

Kaioma: Wh00t! This cookie's probably stale by now... (eats anyway). Thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: XD, either way, it's creepy and cute. Hehehe, might have to work that idea into later chapters. Thanks for reviewing!

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Later that night, after Ed's impossible appetite had been filled, Roy was laying in his pitch dark bedroom, going over Kanone's words again and again. _"But do be careful that his sight doesn't turn red." _Those haunting words were perhaps the most chilling the alchemist had ever heard. Maybe it was simply because they were being applied to someone quite close to him-- or maybe it was because earlier that evening, Ed's eyes had been glazed over with a tint of crimson. Closing his eyes, forcing out the last bit of light cast by street lamps and the alarm clock, Roy's third eye flashed to the scene. It had all been over in a moment, but that one instant, in which he had locked eyes with the younger boy's almost possessed gaze, told him a lot-- that something was definitely up with that stone he treasured so; that someone was working against him, hitting him where they knew he'd break and crumble if enough pressure was applied. More importantly, though, it told him that he may have to heed Kanone's warnings about Ed not being quite stable. Shaking his head slightly to himself, the raven-haired man cleared his mind of those thoughts. He was confident in the elder Elric, and knew that even in his most troubled and weakest times, the boy would pull through. Ed hadn't come this far and stayed this strong just to break now. Confident in his young boyfriend, Roy let his head hit the pillow and his eyes relax, shutting in a more natural state. Moments later, the older man was asleep, unaware of the lurking figure outside his doorway.

Golden hair shone in the dim lights filtering through the curtains and a gleam of red accompanied it, like two small rubies sparkling in the depths of the night. Edward approached the now-sleeping form of the eldest member of the household, engulfing himself completely in shadows on his small trek, though his crimson-tinted eyes continued to shine brightly even after all light had left the area, while at the same time giving off no real light of their own. A single sock-covered foot reentered the light-flooded floor right before the bed before the fluid movements jerked and halted. The two spots of deep red were shut out as the blonde shut his eyes, raising his hands to his head and gritting his teeth in silent anguish, attempting to block out whispered voices meant only for his ears. The crimson stone around his neck glowed dimly as his foot jerked forward once more, but a soft groan powered the boy's will to once again reclaim control of his body. His struggle was to no avail, though, as the dim red became more vibrant, easily taking control of his movements.

As the small form approached the sleeping one, a blade appeared, floating in mid air. Ed's mind, at the time, didn't seem to register that this oddly colored blade--a deep maroon, almost black-- had appeared from nowhere. Now out of his own control, his hand reached up to grasp the handle of the curved knife. A small smile graced his lips, twisted into a grin of malice as he felt the too-familiar grip of the blade in his hand. Though he himself was quite unfamiliar with the sensation, whatever had control of his body knew it all too well. As he drew it up to strike down upon the sleeping man, the eerie mist that seemed to surround the red-black blade left a trail that dissipated into the still air. Another step brought Ed right to the edge of the bed and in a perfect position to swing his hand down and easily end Mustang's life. His small hand tightened its grip on the blade and his arm jerked, much like his foot had moments before-- another internal struggle to regain his motor functions. Once more, the room was washed in red as the stone glowed brightly, taking control of the boy yet again. The hand that gripped the blade tightly raised once more and in one fluid motion started its descent toward the unassuming man.

"Brother!" A voice shouted from the doorway, alarmed and worried. Immediately, the red glow died and the knife fell to the floor, disappearing in a burst of crimson light. Ed's attention jerked back to reality and his eyes regained their golden color. As soon as the elder brother became aware of his surroundings again, however, his eyes closed once more and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Al cried out his name once more and dashed to his side, shaking him and repeating his chant, "Ed, brother! Ed, wake up!"

The commotion soon stirred the bleary-eyed man who's room they all found themselves in. His gaze shot to the boy laying on the floor and a small frown touched his lips as he joined Al by the sleeping one's side. After a few moments of unsuccessful attempts at rising the boy, Roy scooped him up easily and glanced to Al, "Get in the car." He ordered. The younger brother didn't need to be told twice and nodded quickly, running out after slipping his shoes on and sliding into the backseat of Roy's car.

A few moments later, the dark-haired one emerged from his house, Ed still in his arms, and made his way to the automobile. Al promptly opened the door opposite to him and his brother was placed by his side. The worried boy laid his older sibling's head in his lap, running a hand idly through his long blonde hair that had been undone from its usual braid somewhere in the confusion. Roy slid behind the wheel and soon they were on their way, speeding down the road.

After a few minutes of silence, both conscious males' thoughts focused on the unconscious one, Roy glanced in the rear-view mirror at the younger one, whose gaze was focused out the backseat window. He studied the concerned look on Al's face for a second before turning his attention back to the road. "He'll be alright." Those three words caused Al to start slightly, as he had been quite focused on anything but reality at the time. The dead air had been shattered with Roy's voice and brought the smaller boy back to the present.

After fully processing Roy's words, a small nod acknowledged them, "I know." The whispered voice replied, not daring to speak any louder. The silence that consumed the interior of the car seemed deafening-- like it could mute even the loudest of sounds. Or, perhaps, it was just Al's paranoia, though of what, he couldn't be sure. Though his response was soft-spoken, he was far from discouraged. He had all the confidence in the world in Ed, as Roy did. Still, despite their belief in the older Elric, they couldn't help but worry. After all, Ed was the most important thing to both of them. Anything that happened to him would cause immediate panic, that was just a given.

Despite having been staring out that window for some time now (the hospital was, unfortunately for them, quite a distance away), Al's attention was focused primarily on his thoughts. Even his subconscious was directed toward his concern for his brother. Now, though, his eyes focused on the scenery flying by, and something seemed disturbingly wrong. Chalking it up to simple paranoia from what he had seen earlier, he said nothing to the driver. Though, it should have registered with him that it wasn't normal that the light casted from the street lamps was tinted with the same red he had seen flooding Roy's room. Of course, Roy's attention was divided between the boy in the backseat and making it as quickly as possible to the hospital, so he paid no attention to such small details, as the light illuminating his path from the headlights was a clear white as it should have been.

The further they traveled, the more intense the tint became until it seemed the entire scenery would be drowned in red-- like the blood from a thousand murder victims was being spilled onto the roadside and front lawns of the citizens' houses. At the same time Al was about to speak up about this phenomenon, Roy's voice once again broke the silence. "The hell?" he muttered to himself, though Al caught a whisper of the words. The younger boy turned his sight from the side window to the windshield to see what had caused the inquiry. What he saw made the street lamps rather insignificant.

The street ahead of them was completely engulfed in darkness. The red-glowing lamps disappeared behind a wall of black and even the headlights of the car seemed to unnaturally cut off when they hit a certain point in the darkness. Wary of the consuming shadows, Roy immediately slowed to a stop before the car could enter what appeared to be a black abyss. Upon further inspection, the eldest one saw that it wasn't so much a wall of darkness as it was a wall of black fire. Small embers of blood spat out from the immense shadowy form slowly absorbing all light, striking the hood of the car and melting through the metal. A small _pop _sounded as a rather large liquid drop of fire hit the windshield cracking it.

Alarmed, Roy dashed out his door, shooting a glance back to Al, "Get out!"

The younger Elric was already scrambling out his own door, pulling his still-unconscious brother with him onto the roadside. Roy rushed to his side and reached the brothers as three long spikes shot past his head, ripping through the car they had been in moments ago. As the eldest looked back to what the source of the elongated daggers was, he saw that they drew closer together the further back they got and eventually joined into one-- right at the hand of a rather voluptuous woman.

A low-cut, black dress fit her filling form well and long, black, wavy hair fell loosely around her shoulders, partially covering one eye. Roy stared in awe at the gothic beauty, but reality came rushing back in the form of Al's voice, yelling his name. He then registered that this rather enchanting woman was also the one trying to kill him and the brothers. For what reason, he didn't know, but that was hardly the issue at the moment as her gaze slowly locked onto the three. Her fingers retracted and her hand returned to looking as normal as Roy's own as she turned to face them. In the illuminating red light that cast an eerie glow on her, the alchemist could make out two more figures, one on either side of her. The first was a short, dumpy child-looking boy that was immensely obese while the second stood lean and tall with long green hair, tinted red by the lamps.

"Who are you?" Roy demanded, finally finding his voice.

"Well, well, well. Look at that," the palm-tree looking one muttered, smugly, "the little alchemist has a bit of a backbone."

"We'll be sure to fix that." The woman assured the one at her side.

"Can I eat him, Lust?" the third asked in a slightly raspy voice, his tongue lolling out of his mouth. In that instant, Roy noticed that a strange tattoo was printed on the fat one's large tongue. Glancing to the woman, whose sensuous voice matched her appearance, he observed she had an identical mark on her chest. Indeed, the final creature-- for they surely weren't human-- had the same symbol on his left leg.

"I don't know." The woman, now known as Lust, replied, "He might give you indigestion." A disappointed sigh came from the shortest one at the news.

Just as Roy was about to repeat his question once again the unconscious blonde at his side open his golden eyes to gaze at the three. Ignoring the strangers for the moment, the eldest turned toward him, "Ed, are you alright?"

A gloved hand came to press against the boy's temple as he shook his head slightly, "Yeah, fine, what happened?" he wondered, gazing up to where Roy's attention had been. He then looked at the older one, slightly confused, "Were you talking to someone?"

The black-haired man turned his head back to where the three had been standing only to find an empty street. A small frown touched his lips, _"I didn't imagine that, did I?" _he asked himself.

Al came to his rescue and nodded, "There were three people here." He offered, "They were weird."

"Weird how?" Ed wondered, sitting upright.

"They had these weird marks, like a snake eating its tail." The younger brother replied.

"Not to mention that woman could transform her fingers into some sort of spikes." Roy added. All of a sudden Kanone's words flooded into his head for the second time, _"Lust can transform her fingers into long, pointed knives that work quite well for slicing through nearly anything." _

"Roy?" the elder brother asked, tilting his head at the dazed look on the man's face, "Mustang!" That snapped him out of it. Said man turned to face the blonde, "You zoned out." Came the explanation.

"Right...sorry." He mumbled, glancing back to where the three had been standing once more.

Al looked around suddenly, observing that the street lamps were once again lighting the streets with their natural white light, the seemingly endless darkness now faded and the street continued on in its normal way. He locked eyes with Al for a brief moment before the latter spoke, "We should get home." He suggested.

A nod from the other two and they stood in unison. One, skeptical glance at the mangled car and the silent decision to hike it home was made. Roy trailed a bit behind the brothers, mulling over the brunette's words one last time, _"They aren't quite human...they're able to possess such powers..." _A quick glance was shot to the necklace dangling around the blonde's neck, _"because of the Philosopher's Stone."_

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Ha, finally done! You wouldn't believe how long this took me just because I kept randomly getting writer's block. Anyway, hope you liked it (and hope you're still reading after months of neglect on my part). Anyway, review! 


	27. Chapter 27

Heeeey, miss me? Good. Well, not much to say about the chapter, so just enjoy!

Fullmetal Fangirl: Yay, good to know. Thanks for reviewing!

Lil JL: Yay, thanks. Well, it might feel a little rushed from here on out, but thanks for reviewing!

Red Kitsune Flames: Joy of joys Thanks for reviewing!

Kaioma: O.o.. w00t, go pjs of ultimate doom! Hm.. I never read the manga, but I wasn't really going with either. It's my own theory-ish... you'll see next chappy, XD. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"So.. Mustang." Ed muttered, poking at his breakfast the next morning.

"Yeah?" the elder replied, a bit more solemn than usual. His eye didn't have that glint that it usually did; the one of cocky reassurance that told the world he knew everything there was to know. Then again, neither of them did.

"Heard from Kanone lately?"

Roy had half expected him to bring last night up, and ask a million and one questions about the people that had attacked him and Al. He was surprised that Ed had let it sit as long as it had. Though, he wondered why the blonde wanted to know about Kanone. Roy just shrugged it off, "No, why?"

"Well, he seems to be connected to everything somehow, right?" Ed accused, "So I thought maybe you should tell him about those people that attacked you and Al last night."

There it was: predictable Ed. The darker-haired one had to hide his smirk, though when he registered the other one's words, it wasn't hard. He'd been considering doing just that since they arrived home. A soft sigh escaped his lips, "I would, but..." he trailed off.

"But what?" the short one demanded, "But you don't trust him? Are you having doubts about him? You sound like you are, I don't trust him. Maybe you shouldn't talk to him anymore."

An eyebrow quirked at the mini-rant. Until this point, the elder alchemist had had his back facing the rest of the kitchen, but now he turned the stove off and turned to face the boy. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of his semi-boyfriend. Once golden eyes, full of life and emotion, were now dulled and glowing a crimson red. His whole body, in fact, seem to be illuminated with the color as the amulet around his neck was shining rather brightly, casting a deathly glow on the young one.

"Ed..." Roy whispered, trying to take in the scene and understand what was happening. Whatever it was, he knew the boy standing in front of him wasn't Ed. It might have his body, but the cold gaze wasn't the lively alchemist he knew.

The red-tinted head turned its attention toward Roy, "Something wrong, Roy?" he wondered, as if nothing were out of the ordinary.

_"Is it possible it's still Ed? That he doesn't know what's happening to him?" _That thought diminished as soon as said man fully registered the words spoken. Ed rarely ever called him by his first name; it was always 'bastard' or 'Mustang' or some other insult that the boy could think up. Ed called Roy by his birth name about as often as he called Ed by his full first name. As if that weren't enough to put the black-haired man on edge, the normally-blonde one's posture had changed considerably. He wasn't slouched over the table he would normally be, but instead was standing straight up, his weight shifted to one side and his hand firmly planted on his hip. He looked like he had a serious attitude problem-- a different kind than the usual. A quickly muttered 'no' and the elder started moving into action. He stepped carefully toward his target as his hand slipped its way into his pants pocket.

Crimson-filled eyes watched every motion warily, as if just waiting for the predator to strike its prey. A sickly, twisted grin covered the once-smiling mouth in anticipation. Little did Roy know he was the prey. It all happened in an instant, and still, the boy formally known as Edward Elric saw it all. Roy's hand flew from his pocket, no longer naked. It was now covered in a pristine white glove with a complex design in red that made up an alchemic circle used for altering the air around its wearer. The glove itself was made from a type of material that if rubbed against a rough surface (or itself) would create a spark. All that was needed then was an alchemist to use the circle to change the air molecules and boom, sparks would fly and flames would errupt with a simple snap.

Said flames were heading Ed's way right now-- arching erratically and striking toward him like flaming bolts of lightning. The small boy was quick on his feet, though, and dodged out of the pyro's path an instant before the searing streams of heat struck the chair he had been sitting in not ten minutes ago. The grin turned into a smirk, taunting the elder alchemist into a game. Before Roy knew what was happening, a red blur raced past him and out the front door. Intrigued and worried, he followed outside.

As soon as Roy made it outside, he saw why the possessor chose outdoors-- outside there was plenty of room to evade the flames. The former Underground-employee sighed to himself, _"If I attack him here... then I'll be sure to be found out." _He had to keep Wright's threat of treating Roy and Ed both as Renegades in mind. Any alchemy could be seen by an employee and that would mean even more trouble, especially with Ed as unstable as he currently was.

"Well, what's wrong, _love_?" the pseudo-Ed taunted.

A low growl sounded through the still air. Whatever this thing was, it was Ed; _his _Ed. "Ed, snap out of it!" When shouting did no good, the pyro raised his hand. It might be risky, but nothing else was going to snap Ed out of his daze. Whatever was taking him over, it was strong.

--

Olive eyes stared out a small window, _"Soon." _He thought, _"This is all going to end very soon." _A surge of anticipation raced through his body and couldn't help the shiver that was sent flying down his spine. He'd always gotten a rush from big things like this, and this was going to be one of the biggest.

"Sir?" Winry asked, knowing it was never good when her superior got that look.

"Hm?" Kanone glanced up to see the young woman watching him warily.

"Is everything okay?"

"Of course." The brunette assured her, "Why would you think something was amiss?"

"Well... you have that look on your face." She turned her gaze out the same window that held his attention, "Is it Edward?"

"Hm..." A small smile crossed his face, deliciously twisted and full of bloodlust, "Something like that, yes." A frown of worry spread over her lips. Kanone glanced to her, "Oh, don't worry,dear." The soft southern accent assured her.

"How can I not worry after what you've told me?" she demanded, frowning more, "From what you said, Edward could-"

"Until things are decided, don't get upset." He advised. At her nod, he turned his gaze back to the outdoor world. He would never tell her, but Ed's fate had been decided long ago.

--

Seven figures watched one palm-tree-headed boy in the center of the room. The center of attention was glowing with the same crimson red that was flowing through Ed's eyes at that exact moment. Lust looked to her side where their leader was seated, his eyes fixated on Envy.

"You're sure this will work?" she asked, glancing back to the shapeshifter.

"Of course I'm sure." The eldest said, his voice as confident as his words.

"And we'll get all the loot we could ever want, right?" another questioned.

"All the money, women, and beer your heart could desire." A skeptical look was shot at him, "Yes, even _you_, Greed."

Said man let out a low chuckle, "If you say so." He wasn't quite convinced, as his desires had never been fully met as of yet. But if their leader said so, then he'd just have to see.

"What's in it for the rest of us?" the voluptuous woman asked, not finding an interest in any of the aforementioned treasures.

Wright chuckled at the inquiry,"Unlimited possibilities."

* * *

That'll have to be good enough for now. The next chapter will be the last (finally). So review! 


	28. Chapter 28

Ready to find out what happens? So am I... who knows with these people, though.. enjoy!

soupcan: Well, I don't make much sense, so that's normal XD. It's not that long, but.. there's a surprise at the end! Well, not a surprise, really... just me being cheap. That _shouldn't _be a surprise Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

Kaioma: w00t! (tempted to continue this fic just to find out how many things of yours I can rock XD) And everything is either of doom or the more dreaded... d00m! I might look into the manga.. once I get money... and other things I need...x-x, oh well, thanks for reviewing!

Asahi Minako: I know, finally! I take long enough, don't I? Well, this fic will be over soon, but the ending.. well.. let's just say there might be a (cough)sequel(cough) sometime in the future. Who knows? People may hate me after the end of this fic, so we'll find out. Thanks for reviewing!

* * *

"Well?" Wright asked, impatiently, as he looked to the palm tree-haired boy.

Envy grinned, "Just a few more moments." He promised, "He's just about there."

"The boy's body can't take so much strain." Lust reminded him, "If you kill him now-"

"Lust, Lust, trust the boy." The eldest of the eight interrupted, "I'm sure he knows very well how far Ed's body can be pushed."

The woman said nothing, just gave a small glare before turning her attention back to the green-haired one. Greed yawned and leaned back against the wall, "Can't we hurry this up?"

"Try to control yourself for a minute." Sloth looked to him, tilting her head, "Envy is doing the best he can, after all."

The older man just scoffed, muttering about how it wasn't good enough for him. Wrath looked up to the woman that had spoken, "And we'll get to go home?" he asked, looking like a lost child.

The brown-haired woman smiled down at him, "Yes, then we can go home." She confirmed, shooting a glance to Wright, who nodded in agreement.

"I don't know." Greed spoke again, "This place isn't so bad. I have all the money I can take, all the women I can stand, and all the alcohol I can drink."

"And it's still not enough." Lust reminded him, "It never will be for you."

"But it's enough back home, isn't it?" Pride asked, chuckling, "Or don't you remember ever being satisfied."

"Who would want to be satisfied?" Greed asked, "There's no fun if you can get everything you want."

"Then stay here." Wright ended the conversation quickly.

Greed sighed and waved a hand, "Yeah, yeah."

--

Roy hesitated again; he didn't want to attack Ed, but he didn't want to let whatever was controlling his body continue doing so. He narrowed his eyes slightly, _"What if attacking him just hurts Ed, though?" _he thought, frowning. The black-haired man found that his options were limited, though, when the blonde boy rushed toward him, running a hand over his right fist to turn it hard as steel. Roy quickly ducked the hand, knowing that one good connection with that limb and he'd be out cold. What he didn't avoid, however, was the short leg coming to kick him in the gut. The man winced as the air was knocked out of him and he was sent flying back. His departure came to an abrupt stop as he slammed into a nearby tree and a noticeable _snap _was heard. He panted softly and rose to stand once again, holding an arm across his chest; he'd been through worse fights, but he'd never held back before. He had the distinct feeling that if he did for much longer, though, he'd be killed.

Deciding it all in an instant, Mustang sped toward the shorter alchemist in a burst of speed. His breath burned all the way down his throat and his ribs screamed for attention as he raised his hand above his head. He brought his arm down in one, quick motion, snapping his gloved fingers to create a small spark that soon exploded into a wave of fire and heat. The stream of lava-hot material arched spastically toward the younger one, looking almost like a bolt of fiery electricity. It came down at a steep angle right above the possessed boy's head and red-tinted eyes darted up in alarm.

--

It just so happened that at that time, Winry had decided to visit the boys at their new home. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw an arch of flame peak over the top of the wall that surrounded the yard. _"Ed!" _she thought, panicked, wanting to yell out but afraid to let Roy know of her presence. She frowned when a bright red light shined from a point not too far away from her, though she couldn't see the source. Not knowing what else to do, she turned and ran from the estate.

Making her way down several streets that she had obviously long since memorized, the blonde woman finally stopped outside a withdrawn house, hidden mostly by trees and bushes of all sorts. She made her way up the path to the front door and knocked sternly, but urgently. A few moments later the door swung open to reveal a smiling brunette. Kanone blinked a few times, surprised to see the girl, but regained his usual, secretive smile in moments, "Winry, come to visit me?" he asked, tilting his head.

The Rockbell girl knew Kanone, and she knew him well. Still, every time she saw that smile she had to remind herself it wasn't honest. "Not exactly, sir." She replied, "Edward..."

"On that boy again?" the golden-eyed boy asked, looking slightly bored, "Dear, I've told you that until something happens, to leave things be."

"But something _has _happened." She stressed, "I saw a flash of red light and I believe Roy using alchemy."

This caught the boy's attention, "I see..." His mind was racing with thoughts, _"Has it started so soon?"_ He couldn't be sure, but if this was the end of it, he was damned if he'd be left out. His eyes glistened with excitement, _"If Wright makes his appearance with those seven..." _

--

Back in the office at the Underground, Envy gritted his teeth, "He's attacking the kid." He whispered, a slight hint of amusement and desperation in his voice.

"Alright." Wright said, standing up suddenly, drawing glances from most of the others, "Let's hurry, then."

Envy grinned his psychotic little grin and relinquished control of the blonde. "Finally some fun." He chuckled, "Here we come, little brother."

--

"Ed!" the fire user shouted as the younger boy suddenly collapsed on the lawn. He raced over to the limp body, kneeling down next to him. He sighed in relief, seeing that whatever had been controlling his body had had the decency to push him out of the way before withdrawing. The worst of the young boy's injuries was a scorched pant leg; Roy only hoped that the possession hadn't done any brain damage.

Before the older alchemist had time to react, he heard a child's voice calling out Ed's name. "Ed!" Al cried, running over to the pair, fear struck and worried. His blue eyes shot up to Roy, "What happened? Is he okay?" The soft-spoken boy sounded out of place talking so rapidly and loudly.

The black head just shook in response, "I don't know." He confessed. Again, something drew his attention. This time it was a portal, the same shimmering red color of Ed's pendant. He narrowed his eyes as a man he recognized all too well emerged followed by seven figures, clad in black. Three he recognized from the other night as being the ones that attacked him. He quickly looked to the younger brother, "Al, take Ed and get inside." He whispered in a hushed voice as the intruders pressed forward, nearing closer to the three.

"But-" Al began to protest, quickly cut off with a firm '_now_' by his adopter. Deciding not to argue, he nodded and with some difficulty slung Ed's arm over his shoulder and started to haul him into the large house.

"Not so fast." Envy spoke as Lust's fingers took on a life of their own, reaching out well beyond any normal length and striking the ground right before the two boys. Al let out a small yelp and stumbled back, dropping Ed to the ground and landing with an _oof _right next to him. "We want to play a bit."

"Can I eat them now, Lust?" Gluttony asked, looking up to the woman, "I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry." She reminded the obese boy, "But have at the little one, we've no need for him."

"I didn't realize a woman was making the calls now." Greed muttered, as bored as could be. Fighting was necessarily his thing, though he wouldn't hesitate to land a few punches. He'd much rather kick back with a beer and a few women, but some things just got in the way of that.

Lust ignored him as Gluttony let out a small, piggish squeal of glee and he barreled toward Al. His large size slowed him down considerably, though, and Roy jumped on the advantage, snapping his fingers quickly to send a exploding ball of flames in front of the boy. Now hindered from his meal, Gluttony became confused as he looked back, pleadingly to Lust. The black-haired woman just sighed, "Leave it for now." She suggested, "He'd probably upset your stomach anymore."

"But he looks so good." Al sweatdropped at this comment, but soon realized the position he was in and once again attempted to get his unconscious brother up and inside.

"You don't listen very well." Lust chided to the blonde, raising her hand again.

"I'll take care of the brat." Envy spoke up suddenly, stepping forward, a psychotic grin plastered on his face, "I've been wanting to play with my little brother for a while now, anyway."

"Little...brother?" Al asked, more confused than ever. He looked to Roy, but the glare directed at the green-haired boy told him that his adopter knew nothing.

"Well, of course." The lithe teen chuckled, glancing to Wright who simply nodded. "You and that other boy, you know you two are just like us."

"Just like you?" the younger Elric echoed, "What...are you?"

"What are we? We're not human, that's for sure." Envy replied, crossing his arms and closing his eyes, "I don't know for sure, and I don't care... what I do know..." His eyes snapped open once again and he raced toward the pair, "Is that you're a traitor, and traitors need to die!"

The skinny boy was much quicker than his overweight friend, and Roy couldn't quite react quickly enough. He sent a few bursts of flame, but they hit the ground a split second after Envy's foot left the spot. "Al, run!" he shouted. The young boy was struck with fear, though, and all he did was throw his body on top of Ed's to shield his brother from whatever attack might come, not realizing that Envy was only after him.

A half-naked foot hit the soft soil as Envy raised his leg to bring it down on the younger boy. Roy took the pause in motion to flick his wrist toward the group when all of a sudden Wright muttered something and Greed nodded, quickly dashing to stand in Roy's way. The man glared at his opponent and jumped back to give himself room to fight. Just as he was about to attack, Envy's voice was heard, "What the hell?!"

All eyes snapped to his location to see the ground underneath him erupted and cracked, Envy himself had stumbled back and fallen to the Earth's floor. He glared but quickly realized what had happened. He turned his head to the entrance of the estate, where Wright and the remaining five Sins were. Wrath noticed the almost fearful look his older sibling gave and looked to their boss, gasping. He stepped back, away from Sloth and pointed behind the leader, who narrowed his eyes, "What's your problem, boy?" he demanded.

"Boss, look." Greed suggested, his and Roy's fight having been halted.

Glancing over his shoulder, the eldest of the group paled at the sight of the boy at his side, "You."

Kanone smiled a rather cheerful smile, "Hello, there, Stephen." He greeted his underling with as friendly of a tone as he had when first meeting Roy.

Said man narrowed his framed eyes at the brunette, "This is it." He muttered to his comrades, stepping back to put a bit of distance between him and Kanone.

The latter chuckled, "Now, now.. running away, are you?" he asked, mockingly, "Well, I wouldn't blame you. After all, I hired you for your organization skills and brain, not your abilities."

"He's not strong?" Roy asked, a bit taken back by the news. He'd figured Kanone's second in command would have amazing power.

"Not at all." Kanone informed him, "In fact, he's as human as can be, not an alchemic bone in his body."

"He can't perform alchemy...that's why he created these guys, to fight his battles for him." The black-haired man put two and two together.

"That's what I'm guessing." Kanone concurred, glancing to Wright, "Otherwise, he couldn't do a thing on his own."

The target of the insults just glared, "What would you know?" he spat, "You're just a power hungry brat that doesn't know when to give up."

"Lecturing me like you're the elder of us?" Kanone asked, laughing slightly, "Well, you always did think quite highly of yourself."

"I still don't get that.." Roy interrupted the two bickering men, "Kanone..you said before you were much older and now again..."

The brunette tilted his head at the unasked question, but Wright answered for him, "This annoying boy has used alchemy to keep his appearance up, not to mention keep his body alive long past when it should."

"Used...alchemy?" Al whispered, glancing down to his brother who was beginning to stir from his unconscious state.

"See, I'm much older than any of you, in fact, I'm much older than all of you." Kanone explained, "But I couldn't do a thing as an old bag of bones, now could I?"

"So you just extended your life indefinitely?" Roy asked, wrinkling his nose at the thought. Humans were human for a reason.

"Well, of course, are you telling me you wouldn't do the same?" the golden-eyed boy flashed his gaze to Mustang, "Can you stand there and tell me, if you had the opportunity, you wouldn't extend the lives of yourself and.." those same orbs flickered to the brothers, "those dearest to you?"

Roy hesitated and another voice filled the air, "And you?" Everyone's attention turned toward the two boys, the eldest of who was now sitting up and rubbing his temple, his own gaze fixed on Winry, who had arrived with Kanone. "You knew about this the whole time, didn't you?"

The blonde, who had remained silent until this point now nodded, "I did." She answered softly and before Ed could completely turn his attention away from her, she shouted, "But, Ed, I had to!"

"Had to?" he demanded, giving her a critical look, "Why? Because _he _told you to? Do you even really know anything about him?"

"I do, I've been by him as long as I can remember. He's a good man, he wouldn't hurt innocent people, he just wants what he rightfully deserves!" Her voice was desperate, if anything, as if her tone alone could persuade the boy.

"You sound like a brainwashed lackey." Edward muttered, "So you approaching us was no coincidence, in fact... us being homeless... that wasn't a coincidence, either, was it?"

Al gasped softly as he turned to the woman that had taken them in when they had nowhere left to go. Was Ed really accusing her of being part of their mother's death and their house burning down? "Winry...that's not true... right? Tell him it's not true."

"It's not." She insisted, "I wouldn't have done a thing like that, and neither would Kanone."

"Why should we believe a word you say?" the elder Elric demanded, "Everything else you've told us is a lie. That's why you let Roy have us so easily, isn't it? You knew all about him from the start; you didn't care if he'd take good care of us or not, it was all just according to plan."

"That...that is true." She whispered, "But Roy had no part in this, he was left in the dark the entire time."

"So that's better?" Ed spat.

"How did you know he'd even come to an orphanage or choose us?" the more timid of the pair asked, "You had to have some planning go into that."

"That was us." Envy boasted.

"That was me." Wright corrected him, looking to Al, "I approached Roy and suggested that it were in his best interest to take you two on."

"Why?" Ed asked, "Why would you possibly want us with Roy?"

"So you could know where they were and keep surveillance on them." Roy realized, now cursing himself for playing right into his ex-boss' hands.

"That, and to keep them away from me." Kanone added, "See, I knew Wright had a great interest in the boy, which is why I indirectly kept him from you two. It seems, though, he was a step ahead of me at the time."

"And you just went along with it?" Roy's boyfriend (ish) turned to him.

The elder man shrugged slightly, "The employees weren't to question their superior's orders." He offered, "Besides, he said the order came direct from someone higher up than him, and if I wanted to keep my job, I'd follow them without question."

"Which was mostly a lie." Kanone pointed out, "I never gave such an order, it'd be like stabbing myself in the back."

"But he would have lost his job and his life if he'd decided to disagree." Wright glared at the middle-aged alchemist.

"I lost my job, anyway." Roy reminded him, "And I figure my life's forfeit by this point."

"So you're not a complete idiot." Kanone's second-in-command commented.

"What? No way!" Ed interrupted, standing up and glaring, "You're not dying, you bastard, you're not allowed!"

Kanone sweatdropped and laughed at the outburst, "Now, now... I'm sure you two will be together in the end." He said, smiling. Winry frowned to herself at the gesture-- that smile never meant good things.

"Kanone..." she whispered, giving him a worried look, "Don't forget what you told me."

"I've told you many things, dear." He glanced over his shoulder at her, "Which one in particular are you speaking of?"

"You know exactly what I'm-!" Kanone cut her off with a wave of his hand as the ground under her trembled before striking up and sending her stumbling back, "Kanone!"

"It's time for the boys to play." He informed her, "You can watch from the sidelines, though." That smile again, this time, aimed her way, "Be my cheerleader."

"I've had enough of this." Envy sighed, annoyed. He turned to Ed, "Alright, little brother, timeout's over."

* * *

Alright, I lied, I _was _only going to make this one more chapter, but it was getting to be way long. I didn't plan on all this...talking.. x-x, but oh well, the next chapter's being posted in a little bit, so review! 


	29. Chapter 29

Finally the last chapter! Well... I won't spoil it for you, I'll just say, enjoy! If you can...

* * *

The 'little brother' was more than willing to comply, "Finally." He muttered, "I thought the talking would never stop." Before he did anything else, he looked back to Al, "Al, go inside, I don't want you-"

"Ed!" The said boy faintly heard Roy shout his name, but didn't really register it.

"Brother!" That one he heard. He turned his attention back to his younger brother, who had a distinct look of fear on his features.

"Al..." Ed gasped out, looking down to his stomach where three very familiar talon-like fingers were emerging through his body.

In an instant, Lust retracted her fingers back to their normal state and Envy grinned, "Nice shot, but I wanted to play a bit." He pouted before shrugging and spun around a few times, building up speed before kicking Ed hard in his spine. The boy's body snapped back nearly in half at the impact and no sooner another leg was coming to collide with his side.

"Ed!" Roy shouted again and moved to stop the assault, but was once again held back by Greed.

"Let's finish this quickly." He suggested, grinning as the man opposite him glared.

"Kanone!" Winry yelled, looking to Ed in horror, "Help him!"

Golden eyes glanced to Ed's bleeding and bruised body, "The boy's already gone." He decided, turning his attention back to Wright, "We'll accomplish what we came here for and return to the company once I'm finally back in power."

"How can you say that? Don't you care?" Her voice was getting more and more desperate and full of anger and betrayal by the moment.

"About Edward?" he asked, looking to the now-limp body, "Well, if I have to be honest, no."

"You bastard, you've been lying this entire time." Roy gritted his teeth, "You weren't planning on helping me at all, you only wanted to get your company back, to hell with everything else."

Kanone tilted his head in thought for a moment before nodding, "That's about right."

"I can't believe you...you told me we were helping those boys!" the blonde cried, now near tears.

"Well, we were." He pointed out, "Honestly, Winry, you say you know me better than anyone. You should have seen something like this coming."

Blue eyes snapped shut to block out the rain of tears she felt coming, _"He's right... this is how he's always been-- manipulating people and sacrificing whoever and whatever he had to in order to reach his goal and get what he wanted. In the end, the only thing that matters to him...is himself."_

"Well, if the talking is over..." In an instant Kanone's body lit on alchemic fire as the blue light flowed through him, illuminating his eyes in an even more unnatural way than normal. Despite her anger toward the boy, Winry stepped back out of range. She might want him to pay for Ed, but she wasn't completely blinded.

Roy, on the other hand, was furious. He turned his attention from Greed to Kanone, snapping several times as bursts of flame surrounded the boy, "You won't get away with that!" He promised, racing toward the brunette.

Kanone just chuckled, "Turning on your boss?" he asked, "Shouldn't you be after Envy or even Lust? After all, they are the ones that so mercilessly killed your dear, precious Edward." His voice held a mocking tone that Roy just couldn't let drop.

"It's your fault in the first place, if you'd never lost control; if you'd never trusted Wright, Ed would still be alive!" With that, he reached the boy and aimed a punch straight at his face. Kanone was quick, though, and dodged to the side. Roy quickly found his new enemy behind him and a hard fist connected with his head, forcing him to stumble forward. "It'll take a lot more than that to knock me out." He growled, spinning around and rubbing the igniting cloth together to send long streams of flame straight at Kanone. Roy grinned as the brunette dodged the decoy and dashed to his side, snapping his fingers again to cause an explosion of flame right in the defending boy's path.

Kanone hissed as the earth immediately trembled and rose up in a quick burst to block most of the heat. He skid to an immediate stop and raised his arm to shield his face from the fire, forcing his body in the opposite direction away from the black-haired man. His feet weren't quite as quick as the rest of him, though, and he stumbled off balance for a split second. Roy took his opportunity to continue his assault and kick Kanone right in his side.

Not being fond of being on the losing side, Kanone turned his tables all too easily, grabbing Roy's foot and causing a small earthquake under the other. He jumped back away from the man, watching as he now lost his balance. As soon as Roy thought he was stable again, the ground under his feet shook violently and caused him to focus his energies on staying upright.

Wright took the distraction as an opportunity and nodded to Envy, who grinned and dashed toward the glowing alchemist. Kanone darted his gaze toward the green-haired boy and sent shockwaves through the ground toward him. The lithe boy flipped easily over the disturbances and landed back on solid ground, running again toward his target. Kanone narrowed his eyes, Wright had made the Sins specifically to combat his ability. Envy could easily jump over or dodge the tremors while Lust could stop them dead in their tracks by destroying the ground in front of her with her fingers. Gluttony was just too fat to budge, Greed was solid as steel, literally, and Sloth could turn her body to liquid and get out of any damage. Wrath could combine with the ground if necessary, which would probably stop or lessen any damage. Pride was probably the only one that couldn't withstand Kanone's assaults, which made the brunette curious. Why else would Wright make him?

The olive-eyed boy was snapped from his thoughts as Envy shouted something and jumped high up into the air again, bringing his foot down in an attempt to connect with Kanone's face. The latter raised his hand and grabbed the younger one's foot, gripping it tightly and yanking the boy out of the air, slamming him into the ground.

Envy gritted his teeth at the impact as Kanone had erupted the ground under him to form small spike-like protrusions that stuck into his back. He flipped back away from the boy as Lust rushed past him, her fingers sticking out like deadly swords. She wasn't the main threat, though, as Gluttony was barreling toward Kanone at the same time. The brunette narrowed his eyes and punched the ground, blue lights flowing with the tidal wave-like ripples in the ground, enhancing their power greatly. Lust came to Gluttony's defense and struck the ground right before the doddering boy, breaking the ground up. The waves of alchemically-enhanced ground hit the ruptured soil and collapsed on itself, only the dust and bits of rock spraying the target.

Sighing in annoyance, Kanone shook his head, _"Time to end this." _He thought, looking back to the direction Roy had been in. The man had regained his balance and was glaring once more at his former comrade, "What's with the sour look?" the brunette asked, tilting his head in question. Roy didn't answer the question, but simply charged at his enemy. Kanone grinned, this time his smile was pure excitement, _"Perfect."_

As the flame alchemist reached Kanone, the latter reached his hand out. He dodged the fist swung at his head and swept to the side to avoid the leg aimed at his side. Roy was left off guard and Kanone took the advantage, pushing his arm out to extend and pressing his hand, flat-palmed, to Roy's chest. Time froze for everyone as the pair stopped, their eyes locking. Roy gasped slightly as the ground under him and each of the Sins cracked and trembled. The seven stood on edged, looking down to the earth under their feet.

"The...hell?" Envy muttered, "What is this?"

"A transmutation circle." Pride noted, glancing down then to Wright.

The latter furrowed his brow, _"What could he..."_ Suddenly, he realized Kanone's intentions, "Get off of those!" he shouted.

"Too late." Kanone whispered as a bright, alchemic energy burst up through the circles. Roy tried to step away from the boy, but found that the blue light had adhered Kanone's hand to his chest and winced as it felt like his skin was being pulled off. With no other option, Roy went to attack. He raised his hand to snap his fingers, but the southern accent halted his advances. "I'd be careful if I were you..." he glanced to Roy, a knowing smirk in his eyes, "If you attack me, you're liable to cause yourself quite a bit of harm."

Roy gritted his teeth, knowing that Kanone was right. They were in too close of quarters to attack with such a random and unpredictable attack at his flames. He could control them to some extent, but the exact path of the burning oxygen couldn't be assumed. As long as they were this close, Roy was defenseless. "Bastard." He hissed in between clenched teeth.

The appropriately-nicknamed bastard chuckled, "Goodbye, Mustang, you've served your duties well. Time for you retirement." With that, a surge of energy left the power-hungry boy's hand and let it flow into Roy. He stepped back as the blue energy sparked between them, sending shocks into Mustang.

Just as he was about to put on the finishing touches, extending both arms toward Roy, Kanone heard a distinct shout that alerted him to a presence speeding toward the two rapidly, "You bastard!" Ed yelled. Kanone looked over in surprise, pure shock lining his features, as the blood-soaked yet still very alive blonde raced toward them, gritting his teeth. His eyes narrowed with hatred at Kanone, "You'll pay for this!"

The brunette chuckled, realizing what had happened, "It seems they underestimated you." He noted, "Even though the exact item they gave you is the only reason you're still able to move at all."

"Damn it, I told you to take it from him." Wright glared at Envy.

"Hey, chill, I thought that'd be good enough." The latter muttered, "He _looked _dead."

"Let go of Mustang!" Ed demanded, ignoring the bickering going on behind him.

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Kanone informed him, "Really, the power's already surging through him, there's no stopping it now. It is a shame, but Roy Mustang knew what he was talking about when he said his life was forfeit. Though, I doubt he knew _exactly_."

"You won't get away with this." Ed's voice had dropped to a dangerously low level. He'd get his revenge on Kanone, but for now, he needed to help Roy out.

The blonde turned to his older companion and raced toward him, stopping inches away from his now-glowing body. His hair was standing on end and the power had levitated his body a few inches off the ground, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging ajar just the slightest, staring at an unseen force in horror. All around him, the energy crackled and in a few places had even singed the pyro's clothes and skin. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kanone warned as Ed reached a hand out to touch his boyfriend's cheek.

Ed glared back but hesitated, he knew he shouldn't touch Roy, but he couldn't just do nothing. _"Alright." _He thought, glancing down at the stone hanging around his neck, _"Maybe I can interrupt the flow of energy with alchemy. If I introduce a different pattern or a different _kind _of power, then it should short circuit the whole thing and dissipate the energy." _He had it all figured out in his head and nodded to himself; it would definitely work. He stood back a step and reached his hands out, clapping them once and felt the energy circulate through him, his hands now joined, the full circle had been completed and his own alchemic powers were seeping out in a...red light? He blinked, confused; his own powers looked like those of the Philosopher's Stone, but why?

Suddenly, Ed let out a sharp yelp as the stone around his neck burst, spraying crimson shards over both him and Roy. His body began to shake violently and his eyes glowed much like they had before, but this time no stone was the cause. "Brother!" Al shouted, having retreated to the house, but still watching from the doorway, "Brother, what's happening?!"

Ed was far from hearing his brother's voice, let alone responding. As always, Kanone had all the answers, "His body is reacting with the alchemy." He stated simply, glancing to the Sins, "He's of their kind, you both are, you can't perform alchemy without a huge backlash."

"But we've done alchemy before, I've seen Ed do it plenty!" the younger sibling said.

"Not without the aid of the stone." Wright reminded him, "Any alchemy you saw yourself or Edward do before that, wasn't real alchemy at all, just smoke and mirrors."

"That's not true." Al argued, fishing the small, headless Roy statue out of his pocket, "Ed did this!"

"Roy did that." The elder man corrected him, "Along with taking you two in his care, I also asked Roy to monitor your alchemic activities and intervene if necessary. I gave him a special little something that would allow him to transfer his own energies into whatever you two little boys decided to try and muta-.. I mean transmute." The sarcasm in his voice was undeniable.

"So all this time... we haven't been alchemists at all..." Al realized, frowning and looking to Ed, _"Brother tried so hard...for nothing..." _

"You can't do alchemy." Envy spoke up again, "None of us can."

"Try and you're toast." Greed added, motion to Ed, "Just like he is now."

_"And his alchemic backlash will be just what is needed." _Kanone thought, watching it all unfold. Ed's crimson energy mingled with the calmer, more electric blue energy that Roy was emitting from his body. The spark attracted the two and their bodies were flung together.

Their gasps were heard at the impact and Ed looked up slowly, his eyes flickering between life and death, "Bastard..." he mumbled, barely audible. His gaze slowly shifted to his brother, who was crying and shouting his name, "Sorry...Al..."

Hesitantly, Roy's blue-tinted eyes gazed down to his boyfriend. A dry chuckle left his throat and he winced as the energies collided and sparked around them, "Looks like...this is the end of the line...huh, runt?"

Ed thought to argue, his brain was shouting all sorts of insults, but they soon died out. He just closed his eyes, and with the last bit of strength he could muster, hooked his arms around the taller man, resting his head on his shoulder and sighing. For once in his life, he was content, despite the pain, and muttered a small 'I love you'. Roy mimicked the motion of closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around the small boy, leaning his own head on Edward's, "I...I love you, too." He whispered, and this time he had truly meant it. He frowned just the slightest at realizing the boy's life had already left him. _"Fate is just that cruel, is it?" _he asked himself before joining his love in another world.

"How cute." Kanone mocked the couple before stepping back almost to the entrance of the gates and placing his hands on the ground, a larger transmutation circle appearing around the entire yard and encompassing everyone in it. Wright cursed under his breath and looked around for an escape to find none. Suddenly, he saw Winry, terrified and watching the entire thing with a morbid gaze, run past Kanone to stay behind him where the ground was solid and safe. Wright noticed that the brunette was far too occupied to be paying attention to anything but his transmutation. He followed the girl out to watch everything unfold, standing only a few feet away from her.

Back inside the yard, chaos was ensuing. Each of the Sins looked around, wondering what exactly was going on, but knowing it wasn't good. "Wright, you bastard." Envy growled, "Get back here, you're not leaving us to die!"

"Sorry, Envy, but you failed in your purpose, you're of no more use to me." Said man replied.

Kanone looked once more to Ed and Roy, the slightest hint of regret mingling in his green-gold orbs. It was gone in an instant and the look of a murderer took place, his eyes as cold as steel as his hands came down onto the circle. The whole yard lit up in a blinding blue-white light and alchemic-centered winds whipped past Kanone, shredding his shirt and cutting his skin and the immense energy poured out of the gates, blowing past Winry and Wright.

"What's going on?" the blonde asked, shielding herself from the energy the best she could, ducking to one side of the entrance and taking cover behind one of the walls that guarded the estate.

Wright did the same, pulling back to let the wall on the other side save him, "Kanone needed a sacrifice with a great deal of alchemic power to make the transmutation work." He said, watching in awe at the swirling energy, "It was designed just for this type of thing, rapidly deteriorating energy and transmuting it into a different kind. Basically, he's breaking the Sins' bodies down and turning their energy, which is all they're composed of, into a different, normal alchemic energy."

"And that causes such a deadly reaction?" she asked, wondering if Kanone was planning on the backlash he was receiving.

"He didn't plan on Edward being there." The grey-haired man noted, "Ed and Al were failed experiments, they weren't quite the same as the rest; their alchemic make up not only prohibits them from performing alchemy correctly, but if they were ever to attempt it around another source of such great power, the two energies would clash, like they are now, and cause a fatal alchemic storm."

"But Ed tried to perform alchemy, and Roy covered for him.. why didn't this happen then?"

The man shook his head, "That was nothing, creating a cheap little doll like that wouldn't provide enough energy to cause any sort of a backlash, a spark at the very least."

The storm suddenly died down and the light faded. Winry gasped at the sight before her-- the Sins were gone, completely and totally as if they had vanished into thin air. Roy and Ed's bodies had somehow managed to remain intact, but their lifeless corpses were only kept upright by the energies that encircled them. That slowly melted away and in an instant, the couple's bodies were lying on the ground, still firmly clasped in each other's arms. The blonde closed her eyes tightly of the sight and Wright gritted his teeth, knowing if he didn't get out soon, he'd be as good as dead.

Kanone slowly opened his eyes, panting slightly from the exhaustion that such a feat had taken. His second-in-command took the opportunity and turned to run as far and as fast as he could. Winry, however, grabbed his arm, "Stop." She ordered, her eyes now cold and hard, which was mirrored in her voice. The pain of losing Ed had struck something in her and she knew that if it weren't for this man, Ed and Roy both would still be alive and happy.

"Get off of me, girl." He snapped, "I don't have time to play with you."

"I said hold on." She tugged him back as he tried once again to escape.

"And I said get off!" Without warning, Wright spun around and brought his hand up to smack Winry hard across her face, sending her flying into the wall only a foot away. Her head hit the brick with a _thunk _and she sunk to the ground, unconscious.

There was only a second before Kanone appeared around the corner, glancing to Winry's body and frowning. "Honestly, there was no need to do that." He said, looking to his subordinate and sighing, "Stephen, Stephen, Stephen... I don't know, after this, I'm just not sure I'll be able to trust you again."

"Go to hell, Kanone. I quit." It was a long shot, hell, it wasn't even barely a chance, but if it could save his life, he'd try it.

"Quit?" the brunette parroted, laughing casually, "You can't _quit_, Stephen."

"Why the hell not?" the older-looking one demanded. Suddenly, a shot was heard. Wright looked to his superior, a look of shock and pain on his face.

Kanone lowered his gun, the smoke billowing from its barrel, smiling that same smile he always had, "You're fired." He watched as the man he had blindly put too much faith in stumbled forward before sinking to his knees and reaching a hand out to Kanone. He paused in his actions as the shock set in throughout his body and closed his eyes, slumping against the wall.

The gun was dropped, losing Kanone's interest as quickly as Wright's life had left him, and the brunette now turned his focus to the estate once more. He slowly made his way back through the gates to see another body had joined Ed and Roy's. Al was clinging to the back of his brother's shirt, burying his face in the cloth and soaking it wet with tears. He had stopped calling his brother's name, and now the only thing that escaped his throat were choked sobs.

Kanone sighed to himself and approached the young boy, who barely recognized his presence. He felt a pang of pity for the young blonde and stooped down next to him, placing a hand on his back, which was nearly shaking from crying so hard, "It must be hard to lose someone so dear to you." He said, idly.

"Leave me alone." Al whispered between breaths, trying to calm himself down but failing miserably.

"Come now, you know I never meant for Edward to be hurt."

"That doesn't make it alright, you meant for Roy to be killed!" The accusation was in no way false; Kanone had every intention of sacrificing Mustang's life.

"That's true, but you understand why I did it, don't you?" he asked, pulling the boy away from his brother's body, "Come on now, dear, leave the dead to rest."

"No, get off!" Al struggled weakly against the much stronger boy, but most of his energy had already been used up and he just wanted to sleep now; sleep and forget any of this ever happened; sleep and wake up and have it all be okay again.

Kanone just wrapped his arms around the small boy and closed his eyes, "You've nothing left for you here." He spoke after a small silence. His words stung, but they were nothing short of the truth, "Come with me, work for me back at the Underground."

"How?" Al didn't want to agree, but he didn't know what else he'd do, "I can't perform alchemy, I'd be of no use."

The brunette chuckled slightly, "Well, I hear there's an opening in management." Blue eyes darted up to him, asking a million unvoiced questions, "I know you're young, but you seem like a smart boy, I could use someone with a level head for once."

_"There's a kindness in his eyes... just like Ed had... like Roy and Winry had... maybe he's not all bad... but..." _Al glanced back once more to his brother's body, _"It could also just be a lie, like everything else he's said." _

"I've nothing more to gain here." Kanone interrupted his thoughts, "It's simply an offer. You can always go off on your own, live out your life and never have done a thing to prove you lived in this world, or you can come with me, and make something of your existence."

If anything, Kanone sure had a way with words. Al knew he was probably being manipulated, but he also knew that with Kanone, he might actually have a chance to help others and to prove his life wasn't in vain, "I..."

"Come on," he pressed, standing up and holding out a hand, "come with me and accomplish everything you and your brother talked about in your most secret moments." The promises of a better life, of a life worth living, got to the slightly-gullible boy and he nodded silently, rising to his feet, shakily, and placed his hand in Kanone's. The two headed out of the estate and Kanone quickly turned to the left, opposite of where Winry and Wright's bodies lie. Al started to look back for one last glance, but Kanone wrapped an arm around his shoulders, "Don't look back." He muttered, "If you do, you might get caught in the past forever."

Al froze and turned his sights back in front of him, looking back to the ground, _"Ed lived his entire life regretting his past." _He thought, closing his eyes tightly and allowing Kanone to guide him, _"I won't do the same... I'll make something of myself. You'll see, brother, I'll be just as great as you."_

* * *

(dodges rotten fruits and throws back tissues) Don't kill me! I know, I know.. I killed them.. all of them.. well, almost all. Damn, this chapter was longer than the last o.o. Well, if there is a sequel, it'll be focused mainly on Al, and I might bring a few of the other characters in.. Hughes, Havoc, Breda, Scar, etc. It might also be a while, though, so I'll give you plenty of time to recover from the loss of Ed and Roy.. and Envy and Gluttony.. I'll stop there. Review if you love me! Or..if you don't, either way. 


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